As Hurricane Milton heads toward Florida, experts say former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago is in for a smooth ride. The mansion features thick concrete walls and steel supports designed to handle severe weather impacts. While the resort may experience tropical-storm-force winds and is currently under a tornado watch, the latest forecast from the National Hurricane Center indicates that Milton’s path will likely pass through western Florida and head toward the Atlantic Ocean.
Hurricane Milton’s effect on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago
Trump’s Florida mansion is reportedly built to withstand storms, being ‘tethered to a coral reef’ for added stability. “This place will not move,” the late Tony Senecal, who served as Trump’s butler for many years, once said according to the Palm Beach Post. “That’s why you’ll always find me here during a hurricane. If it goes down, I’ll go down with it.”
Also read: Tornadoes strike in Florida as Hurricane Milton approaches
The building is made of strong concrete, has walls that are three feet thick, and is held down by steel hooks that keep it attached to the reef below, as the Palm Beach Post reports. Also, it’s up on the east side of Florida, way out of the path of Hurricane Milton, which is supposed to hit early Thursday.
Mar-a-Lago has been through a lot of hurricanes since 1928, including one that hit South Florida super hard. Luckily, the damage wasn’t too bad, just a few trees knocked down and the famous Roman-style window got some dents. While the estate may feel some tropical storm winds, it’s more than equipped to handle whatever comes its way. In recent years, the historic club has seen only minor damage from hurricanes, like a torn roof from Hurricane Irma in September 2017.
Trump and family ‘not expected in’ Florida
According to reports, the Republican nominee and his family will not be in Palm Beach as Hurricane Milton approaches Florida. However, they can rest easier knowing that the massive mansion, acquired by Trump in 1985, has benefited from millions invested in its restoration, helping its stucco walls remain intact through numerous storms. In 1995, he opened The Mar-a-Lago Club, retaining residential quarters for himself and his family. Trump-related entities also own three homes adjacent to the club.
“We lost a lot of the vegetation that gave Mar-a-Lago its character,” Trump told The Palm Beach Post after the devastation left behind by Hurricane Frances in 2004. “I wasn’t there for the storm, but I’ve been told by my people there that it re-landscaped the place. There was a little flooding in some of the basements, too.”
Hurricane Milton updates
Hurricane Milton has strengthened into a Category 3 storm, prompting officials to urge residents to evacuate their homes and close some bridges as the storm approaches the Tampa Bay area. This region, home to over 3.3 million people, has not experienced a major hurricane in over a century.
Milton has already brought rain, strong winds, and tornadoes to the area, impacting communities still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Helene two weeks ago. As of Wednesday evening, Milton was forming approximately 35 miles west-southwest of Sarasota, with maximum sustained winds reaching 120 mph. The storm is expected to maintain hurricane strength as it traverses central Florida and heads towards the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday.
