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When Jim Cantore picked Tampa as his broadcast location for Hurricane Milton, it sent shivers up the spines of many who know that Cantore is typically a harbinger of things to come. 

When Jim comes to town, people take notice. It was the same way in Tallahassee when the Weather Channel legend showed up ahead of Hurricane Helene. Luckily, Tallahassee was spared, but long-time weather watchers know that Jim’s typically not wrong too many times in a row. 

That has many nervous over Hurricane Milton. 

Jim’s due for a big one. 

“This is actually terrifying. I literally had a dream that Jim Cantore was broadcasting from my front lawn,” Tampa Bay Times columnist Stephanie Hayes wrote this week.

I feel scared, depleted, upset and perpetually sick for the people who have just spent the past week tearing apart their already ruined houses. I’m crying all morning over what this will mean in the light of Thursday.

That’s the Cantore effect and the effect of a CAT-5 boiling in the Gulf. 

The other big sign of what’s to come is the Waffle House effect. Those familiar with storms know that when Waffle House closes, it’s time to run for the hills. Reporters noted Monday night that the Waffle House in Treasure Island, Florida has been boarded up while a Cape Coral, Florida Waffle House had been closed

Folks, this is serious stuff.