Milton to strike Florida – mass evacuation of residents

Milton

Less than two weeks have passed since the deadly Hurricane Helene, and Florida is already preparing for another catastrophe. On Monday, October 7, the storm approaching from the Gulf of Mexico officially became Hurricane Milton. Its impact on Miami, Orlando, and Tampa is predicted for Thursday. The Sunshine State is in full mobilization.

What is known about Hurricane Milton?

On Sunday evening, U.S. meteorological services (NSW) issued a warning about Hurricane Milton, approaching from the southwest. At that time, the storm was 765 miles away from Tampa but was moving at around 7 mph, with winds of 90 mph (editor’s note: 145 km/h). With very low vertical wind shear and an unusually high sea surface temperature, the hurricane could rapidly strengthen, reaching Category 4 or 5.

Heavy rainfall is expected across the entire Florida peninsula in the middle of the week. In Miami, Tampa, and Orlando, around 200 mm of rain per square meter is anticipated, but in some areas, up to 380 mm could fall. NSW is warning of flash floods, which could occur even before the hurricane hits due to the instability of the low-pressure system, which contains large amounts of moist tropical air. The first rains are expected today, but they will intensify on Wednesday and Thursday.

Milton
Photo: A storm forming over the Gulf of Mexico, heading toward Florida; source: NOAA NWS National Hurricane Center

No respite for Florida

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) had warned in May of an unusually intense hurricane season. Hurricane Helene struck Florida on September 26, causing the deaths of at least 223 people, with searches for the missing still ongoing. As of Friday, October 5, according to NBC reports, many communities remained cut off, hundreds of thousands were without power, and phone communication was difficult.

Helene was a Category 4 hurricane and caused catastrophic damage not only in Florida but also in neighboring states—Tennessee, North Carolina, and Georgia. Hundreds of homes and thousands of cars were completely flooded, and bridges and roads were destroyed. Losses in the southeastern U.S. are estimated at $30 billion. In this situation, the arrival of another hurricane understandably raises concern.

Mass evacuation

NSW cautions that it is too early to estimate the likely impact of Hurricane Milton, as the storm is evolving rapidly. However, flood warnings have been issued for 15 million people in central and southern Florida, and wind gusts are expected to exceed 190 km/h. It is worth noting that this is already the 13th named storm of the season, which usually occurs around October 25.

On Sunday, the governor of Florida declared a state of emergency in 51 Florida counties. The largest evacuation since 2017 is also being prepared, set to begin on Monday afternoon. In Pinellas County, as many as 500,000 people may be forced to leave their homes. Authorities, learning from experiences with Hurricane Helene, plan to significantly intensify efforts to enforce mandatory evacuation to minimize the risk of fatalities. In Tampa Bay, hospitals and nursing homes were evacuated as early as Sunday, and elementary and secondary schools have been closed until Wednesday. Local authorities are warning of prolonged power and water outages.

In Miami, sandbags have been distributed since Monday morning, and people are stocking up on food, bottled water, sanitary supplies, first aid items, batteries, and flashlights. It is unclear exactly which path Hurricane Milton will take, so further evacuations will be ordered as new meteorological data comes in. Fuel reserves and temporary charging stations for electric vehicles are being prepared on all evacuation routes. Public services are on high alert, and all of Florida is bracing for the worst-case scenario.

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