Florida, battered by storms, is preparing for direct impact from Hurricane Milton, which has regained strength as a Category 5 storm. President Joe Biden urged residents to evacuate, warning that this could be the worst natural disaster to strike the state in a century.
With the second major hurricane hitting Florida within weeks, an air of impending disaster loomed while people hurried to secure their homes and make their escape.
“This is a matter of life and death, and that is not an exaggeration,” President Biden stated from the White House, imploring those under evacuation orders to “leave now, now, now.”
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The National Hurricane Center reported that Hurricane Milton is back to a maximum Category 5 classification, with sustained winds reaching 270 km/h.
An aerial view of the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene in Bat Cave, North Carolina
“Intensity fluctuations are possible as Milton traverses the eastern Gulf of Mexico; however, it is anticipated to be a significant threat by the time it reaches Florida’s west-central coast on Wednesday night,” the NHC indicated.
During a news conference, Governor Ron DeSantis highlighted towns and counties that are at risk.
“Essentially the entire peninsula of Florida is under some form of watch or warning,” he stated.
Airlines have added extra flights from Tampa, Orlando, Fort Myers, and Sarasota as traffic swelled with those fleeing, and gas stations ran out of fuel.
Walls of water
Hurricane expert Michael Lowry cautioned that in the Tampa area, which has a population of around three million, Milton’s storm surge “could double the surge levels observed two weeks ago during Helene,” which caused severe flooding.
President Biden delayed a significant trip to Germany and Angola to oversee federal relief efforts, with storm recovery becoming a contentious political issue ahead of the presidential election on November 5.
Parts of Tampa are largely deserted as Hurricane Milton nears
Read more: Hurricane Helene more dangerous due to climate change – study
Former President Trump has exploited public discontent over the emergency response to Hurricane Helene, spreading misinformation by wrongly claiming that disaster relief funds were redirected to support migrants.
President Biden condemned Trump’s remarks as “un-American,” while Vice President Harris warned of the dangers that misinformation poses to the federal response efforts.
“It’s crude. Do you have no empathy for the suffering of others? Do you lack a sense of purpose if you claim to be a leader?” she challenged Trump directly during an interview with late-night host Stephen Colbert.
In scenes of frantic preparation across Florida, many vehicles queued at a sports facility in Tampa to collect sandbags for home flood protection.
Residents evacuate from Naples ahead of Hurricane Milton
John Gomez, 75, disregarded official advice and traveled from Chicago to protect his second home in Florida.
“I believe it’s better to be here just in case something occurs,” Mr. Gomez remarked while waiting in line.
Global warming as a contributing factor
Scientists assert that global warming impacts the severity of storms, as warmer ocean surfaces release more water vapor, providing extra energy that intensifies storm winds.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shared footage from a specialized aircraft known as “Miss Piggy,” which flew into the hurricane to gather valuable data.
Inside the aircraft, paperwork, equipment, and personal items were tossed about as the plane faced turbulent winds and rain.
On the ground, communities recovering from Hurricane Helene, which struck Florida at the end of September, hurried to clear away debris that could become hazardous projectiles as Milton approaches.
In Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, strong winds knocked over trees and power lines, with heavy rainfall causing flooding. Fortunately, the storm moved offshore without causing major damage or casualties.
Throughout the southeastern United States, emergency responders continue to face challenges providing relief after Helene, which claimed the lives of at least 230 individuals across multiple states.
This hurricane made landfall on the Florida coast on September 26 as a powerful Category 4 storm, leading to extensive flooding in remote inland areas of states further north, including North Carolina and Tennessee.
Helene became the deadliest natural disaster to affect the U.S. mainland since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and the death toll continues to rise.
