US officials have issued warnings about the severe threat posed by Hurricane Milton, which briefly intensified to a category five storm before downgrading to category four as it approaches Florida. Milton is still generating powerful winds of up to 155 mph (250 km/h) as it moves past the northern tip of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), “potentially catastrophic” storm surges are likely along coastal areas.
The storm is forecasted to hit the heavily populated Tampa Bay area with full force on Wednesday, just under two weeks after Florida was struck by Hurricane Helene. Governor Ron DeSantis has urged residents to prepare for the state’s largest evacuation effort in years, stating, “We have to assume this is going to be a monster,” during a press conference on Monday, as officials monitored the storm’s status.
This comes only 10 days after Hurricane Helene— the deadliest mainland storm since Hurricane Katrina in 2005— hit the US southeast, leaving at least 225 people dead, with hundreds more missing. Florida recorded 14 of those deaths, and now, 51 of the state’s 67 counties are under emergency warnings as Hurricane Milton looms.
“Unfortunately, some of the Helene victims are in the path of this storm,” DeSantis said.
Ken Graham, director of the National Weather Service (NWS), explained that Milton reached category five status at an unprecedented speed, with wind speeds increasing by 80 knots (148 km/h) in just 24 hours. “That’s the third fastest on record,” he noted.
Hurricanes are classified into five categories based on wind speed, with those reaching category three or higher considered major hurricanes due to their potential for massive destruction and loss of life, according to the NWS.
Hurricane Milton is expected to weaken on Tuesday as it moves over the Gulf of Mexico, dropping to a category three storm by the time it reaches Florida’s Tampa Bay on Wednesday evening or early Thursday. The National Hurricane Center has warned that torrential rain and flash flooding could affect parts of Florida starting late Monday. It also cautioned that life-threatening storm surges and damaging winds along Florida’s west coast are likely from late Tuesday or early Wednesday.
Rainfall totals in some areas could reach up to 15 inches (38 cm), with coastal regions potentially experiencing storm surges between 10 and 15 feet (3 to 4.5 meters). Evacuation orders began being issued on Monday, and tolls on roads in western and central Florida will be suspended.
Long lines at gas stations have formed in South Florida, with some stations running out of fuel. Traffic congestion in certain areas has surged by as much as 90% above average, according to Governor Ron DeSantis. School closures in several counties will begin on Tuesday.
Keith Turi, a spokesperson for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), remarked, “I’m encouraged by the amount of evacuation that’s going on right now.
This is actually a good sign.” Parts of Pinellas County, which saw at least a dozen fatalities from Hurricane Helene, were placed under evacuation orders on Monday. Airports in Tampa and Orlando announced that they would suspend flight operations starting Tuesday due to the storm.
The storm also disrupted the presidential campaign. Governor DeSantis spoke with President Joe Biden, but according to NBC News, he has declined calls from Vice President Kamala Harris, who is running for president against former President Donald Trump. “I didn’t know she called me… I was not aware of that,” DeSantis said. When asked about her calls not being returned, Harris responded, “Playing political games with this moment, in these crisis situations, is utterly irresponsible.”
“And it is selfish and it is about political gamesmanship instead of doing the job that you took an oath to do, which is to put the people first,” Vice President Kamala Harris stated, criticizing those playing political games during the crisis.
A town hall event featuring former President Trump in Miami on Tuesday has been postponed until next week. Univision, the host network, emphasized that “the health and safety of everyone involved in this event is the highest priority.”
As Hurricane Milton approaches, the US government has warned that clean-up efforts could take years following the devastation of Hurricane Helene. In Florida alone, over 12,000 cubic yards of debris have been cleared from the areas affected by Helene in less than two days. Governor DeSantis assured that debris removal would continue “until it is no longer safe to do so.” However, hundreds of roads remain closed, hampering efforts to deliver aid to the hardest-hit communities.
Hurricane Helene made landfall in late September as a category four storm, leaving widespread destruction, flash flooding, and knocking out power to millions of homes. The storm claimed lives in several states, including Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and the hardest-hit state, North Carolina.
In response, President Biden has ordered an additional 500 soldiers to be deployed to North Carolina, bringing the total number of troops to 1,500. These troops will join thousands of government relief workers and members of the National Guard. So far, Biden has approved nearly $140 million in federal assistance for the affected areas.
