RFlorida residents are reeling from Category 3 Hurricane Milton, which has left at least 14 people dead, 3.4 million power outages, and no significant damage yet known.
Hundreds of people were rescued Thursday in the aftermath of the storm that brought historic rain to Tampa, throwing debris and trees around the streets and devastating the Tampa Bay Rays’ St. Petersburg field.
Just as residents were coming to terms with the fallout from last month’s Hurricane Helen, with millions under evacuation orders, experts say it could become one of the deadliest and most destructive storms in recent history. I was warned that there would be.
While the damage remains unsolved, how is Milton different from the deadliest hurricanes of the 21st century?
Hurricane Milton first made landfall Wednesday night near Siesta Key in western Florida, with maximum sustained winds of 190 miles per hour. The hurricane spawned dozens of tornadoes, heavy rain and 28-foot waves along the Gulf Coast.
Milton strengthened to Category 5 over the Gulf of Mexico, but weakened before making landfall.
Florida is no stranger to hurricanes, and just a few weeks ago Helen, a Category 4 storm, caused extensive damage. In fact, as shown in the map above, four of the seven deadliest hurricanes since 2000 significantly impacted Florida. These four people are in addition to Helen.
The deadliest hurricanes all arrive from the Atlantic Ocean and increase in speed, size, and pressure as they enter the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
By late Thursday, the death toll from Hurricane Milton had reached 14, but the situation was rapidly evolving. Search and rescue operations continued in the state Thursday night.
The deadliest hurricane so far this century (in the United States) was Katrina in 2005, which killed 1,392 people. The majority of deaths were confirmed in Louisiana, with many in New Orleans.
But the effects of recent Hurricane Helen are looming, with more than 228 people dead and potentially hundreds more missing. The most affected states were the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee.
Hurricanes can cause billions of dollars worth of damage in hours to days.
Since 2000, the seven deadliest hurricanes alone have caused more than half a trillion dollars (more than $570 billion) worth of damage, not including dozens more that hit land.
Hurricane Ian in 2022 was the costliest hurricane in recent history, causing $133 billion in damage, particularly across Florida and the Carolinas.
It has been less than 24 hours since Milton made landfall, so its impact cannot yet be measured. But Hurricane Helen has already been estimated to have caused at least $30 billion and up to $47 billion in damage, with countless losses from flooding and wind, most of which were uninsured. AccuWeather announced Thursday that preliminary estimates of damage and economic losses are between $160 billion and $180 billion.
Florida is highly exposed to hurricanes and associated damage, raising concerns about the future viability of insurance coverage for local homes and businesses.
Millions left without power
Power outages caused by Hurricane Milton have reached their peak. 3.4 million customersDozens of Florida counties lost power over the past day, according to tracker PowerOutage.US.
As of mid-afternoon Thursday, more than three-quarters of customers in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties around Tampa were reporting power outages, according to tracker FindEnergy. This equates to hundreds of thousands of households.
The map below shows power outages are concentrated in central and western Florida, which is in the path of the hurricane.
This puts Milton high on the list of hurricanes that have affected power supplies and infrastructure.
Hurricane Irma in 2017 had maximum sustained winds of 132 mph and knocked out power to more than 6.7 million customers in at least six states.
On the other hand, other hurricanes like Ida in 2021 may have been more powerful and caused greater economic damage, but the impact on power supply was less severe.
Relationship with climate change
On Thursday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned residents that more hurricane activity could occur in the coming months. Atlantic hurricane season continues until the end of November.
Although the storm weakens in October, 3rd most active month According to FOX Weather, this is the season when tropical activity increases in the Atlantic Basin.
Two things are needed for a hurricane to form: warm water and wind. They begin in tropical regions where the ocean is at least 80 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.
Hot seawater evaporates, producing warm, humid air. Wind also increases evaporation further. The moist air rises into the Earth’s atmosphere, where it begins to cool. The water vapor then condenses back into water droplets. Water droplets form storm clouds. As warm air continues to rise from the ocean, winds blow in a circle around the center, gathering thunderstorm clouds. When these winds reach a maximum sustained wind speed of 114 miles per hour, the cyclone officially becomes a hurricane.
The Gulf of Mexico has experienced record-breaking ocean temperatures in recent months. These conditions add gasoline to the hurricane, accelerating the rapid intensification seen in Milton.
Hurricane Milton was the strongest late-season storm in the Gulf of Mexico on record and the strongest hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico since Hurricane Rita in 2005.
Climate change is causing ocean heatwaves in large parts of the world, Hurricanes bring heavier rain and an increase in storm surges due to sea level rise.
