Here we go again. . . *sigh*. 😩
The latest conspiracy theory is that Tropical Storm — soon-to-be hurricane — Milton is being deliberately steered by “they” (presumably the U.S. government) into Florida because, as many users have mentioned, “I have never seen a hurricane form in the Gulf of Mexico, then travel eastward.”
Instead of being a paranoid coo-coo bird, I decided to take a look at NOAA's HURDAT2 database, and I found that since 1851 [when reliable data collection began], there have been 14 hurricane formations in the Gulf of Mexico that then tracked eastward and made landfall in Florida. It happened in the years 1852, 1859, 1867 (“Galveston”), twice in 1871, 1873, 1877, 1888, 1920, 1924, 1945 (“Outer Banks”), 1950 (Love), 1953 (Hazel) and most recently in 1998 (Earl).
🔗
coast.noaa.gov/hurricanes/#m…
So, while the track is rare, it isn't unheard of.
Tropical cyclones are generally steered east-to-west along the trade wind belt (i.e., the easterlies) in lower latitudes due to the position of the subtropical Bermuda high. Once the cyclone gets to the periphery of the high, it begins to curve northward. As it gains latitude, there is an eastward acceleration by the jet steam (i.e., westerlies) and conservation of angular momentum. The location of the high and wind belts move slightly which alter the tracks.
There's no conspiracy here.
Just scientifically illiterate people who need to take a meteorology course or two.