Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key, Florida, on Wednesday night as a Category 3 storm, bringing 190 mph winds, heavy rain and a 10-foot storm surge to areas of the state that are still reeling. This is due to the effects of Hurricane Helen just two weeks ago. By Thursday morning, Milton had crossed Florida and headed out to sea with hurricane-force winds intact.
“First responders have been working through the night,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference Thursday morning. “The storm was significant, but fortunately this was not the worst-case scenario.”
Although Florida largely avoided disaster, Milton still dealt Floridians a harsh blow. Floodwaters rose to nearly two stories high in some coastal areas, spurring dangerous late-night rescue efforts. Strong winds ripped off the roof of the building. Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg More than 3 million homes and businesses lost power. Further inland, as much as 18 inches of rain fell in just a few hours. A once in 1000 year event. Hours before landfall, the storm spawned about two dozen tornadoes across the state, one of which struck a retirement community, officials said. The storm killed at least six people and forced about 80,000 people to seek shelter.
“We’re experiencing flooding in areas and levels that we’ve never seen before. I’ve lived in this community my whole life,” Bill McDaniel said. Plant City’s city manager told the Guardian.calling it “absolutely phenomenal.”
Brian R. Smith/AFP via Getty Images
When Milton formed in the Gulf of Mexico, Floridians were still cleaning up debris and damage from Hurricane Helen. Fueled by the decline of El Niño and near-record warm waters due to climate change, the storm soared from Category 1 to Category 5 with wind speeds of 180 miles per hour in just 24 hours, making it one of the fastest intensifying in history. . Initial forecasts had predicted that the northern side of the storm, also known as the “dirty side” of the hurricane, would hit Tampa, pouring water straight down the Gulf and into one of the lowest-lying cities in the United States. But the hurricane weakened a little and made landfall a little further south, which not only avoided the most disastrous potential flooding, but actually sucked water from the bay.
“Do not venture into the receding waters of Tampa Bay,” the Florida Department of Emergency Management (FDEM) said. Warned with X. “Storm surges can cause water to come back up, creating a life-threatening danger.”
The rapid succession of hurricanes in the region represents a compounding of disasters that scientific models predict will become more frequent as the climate changes. They also come at a time when the Federal Emergency Management Agency is running out of money and personnel. As Milton approaches, More than 40 Congressional Democrats They sent a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson imploring him to reconvene the floor to vote on additional funding for FEMA. Prime Minister Boris Johnson previously said he would not tackle the issue until after the election, which is a month away on November 5.
Amid multiple disasters, FEMA faces funding challenges, misinformation and politicization
At a news conference Thursday morning, officials urged continued vigilance throughout the state. Rivers could still flood, roads remained impassable and there was a lot of debris. He also warned residents to be careful when starting cleanup, as collapsed railway tracks and other hazards can be extremely dangerous.
“We don’t need Florida Man or Florida Woman to randomly cut lines in the middle,” said Kevin Guthrie, executive director of FDEM. “Let’s get our crews out there and get everything back up and running.”
