Florida is preparing for what could be another “once in a lifetime storm” heading for its coast this week, even as the cleanup from Hurricane Helene is still underway.
Hurricane Milton rapidly intensified in the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to hit the heavily populated Tampa Bay area by Wednesday, likely as a major hurricane, according to the US National Hurricane Centre.
Floridians were asked to brace for what could be the largest evacuation since 2017’s Hurricane Irma.
“I highly encourage you to evacuate,” Kevin Guthrie, director of Florida’s emergency management division, said.
Milton is tracking towards areas already devastated by Hurricane Helene, which struck northern Florida on 26 September.
On Sunday evening, Milton was about 780 miles from Tampa with sustained winds of 85mph.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned the storm surge and power outages could exceed those caused by Helene, especially given the leftover debris.
“There are some areas with a lot of debris… if hit by a major hurricane, it’s going to dramatically increase damage,” Ron DeSantis said.
Florida prepares for largest evacuation since 2017
Florida is bracing for its largest evacuation since Hurricane Irma in 2017 as Hurricane Milton barrels towards the state’s western coast.
Kevin Guthrie, director of Florida’s emergency management division, asked people to prepare for the “largest evacuation that we have seen most likely since 2017 Hurricane Irma”.
“I highly encourage you to evacuate,” he said at a press conference.
Officials are warning that more than 500,000 residents of Pinellas County, including St Petersburg, may be ordered to evacuate starting Monday as the storm intensifies.
Sheriff Bob Gualtieri told a press conference that these could be mandatory evacuation orders as too many people ignored the orders for Helene, resulting in 12 deaths in the county and 1,500 emergency calls that were unable to be answered.
Evacuations of hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities have already begun, affecting over 6,600 patients, while schools are set to close early this week.
Hurricane Milton, projected to make landfall near the densely populated Tampa Bay area by Wednesday, could bring devastating storm surges and widespread destruction to regions still recovering from Hurricane Helene.
Milton intensifies into a hurricane
Hurricane Milton rapidly intensified yesterday in the Gulf of Mexico, strengthening from a tropical storm into a Category 1 hurricane, according to the US National Hurricane Centre.
Milton’s sustained winds reached 85 mph (140 kmph), and it was located approximately 780 miles (1,255 km) west-southwest of Tampa, Florida, moving eastwards at 7 mph (11 kmph).
Forecasters warned that the storm could continue to intensify over the next few days, potentially reaching major hurricane status before making landfall along Florida’s western coast by mid-week.
Source: independent.co.uk