As Hurricane Milton hurtles toward Florida’s Gulf Coast, residents face a tense final day to either evacuate or brace themselves for the impending disaster of this “catastrophic” Category 5 storm. With an anticipated life-threatening storm surge on the horizon, the urgency to act has never been more vital.
Over a million individuals residing in coastal territories are currently under mandatory evacuation orders. As people make their way to higher ground, roads have become choked with traffic, and gas stations have run dry in a region still reeling from the recent devastation brought by Hurricane Helene just weeks ago.
The storm is projected to impact the Tampa Bay metropolitan area, home to over three million residents, yet forecasts indicate the storm’s path may shift right before it makes landfall later tonight.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has classified Milton as a “catastrophic” and “extremely dangerous” hurricane, boasting sustained winds reaching 260 km/h, placing it firmly at the pinnacle of the five-tier Saffir-Simpson scale.
Conditions are poised to deteriorate this afternoon, as outlined in an advisory released overnight. The White House reported that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are receiving updates about the storm, and Biden is expected to address the nation later today.
Liz Alpert, the mayor of Sarasota—a city situated just south of Tampa Bay—expressed confidence in their preparedness, but tempered optimism with a stark warning: “We’re as ready as we can be… But this is going to be an incredibly severe storm,” she said during a conversation with MSNBC. She added, “For people who experienced that (hurricane) two weeks ago, facing this again is really tough on everyone.”
Milton is charting an uncommon west-to-east trajectory across the Gulf of Mexico, likely bringing a lethal storm surge exceeding three meters (approximately ten feet) to many areas along Florida’s coast.
Officials, from President Biden to Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, have urged residents in evacuation zones to heed warnings and evacuate or face grave danger.
“Hurricane #Milton Advisory 17: Milton Remains a Catastrophic Category 5 Hurricane. Forecast to Make Landfall On the Florida Gulf Coast Late Tonight as a Dangerous Major Hurricane.”
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) October 9, 2024
Michael Tylenda, who was in Tampa visiting his son, echoed the call to evacuate. “Anyone acquainted with Florida knows that ignoring evacuation orders can lead to dire consequences,” Tylenda remarked. “Many have stayed behind only to drown. Material possessions can be replaced; your life cannot. So it’s wiser to leave while you can.”
An aerial snapshot of the havoc wreaked by Hurricane Helene over Bat Cave, North Carolina, serves as a stark reminder of nature’s fury.
While forecasts suggest that wind speeds may dip, which could lower Milton’s categorization, the storm’s sheer size expands the risk to more coastal communities. In their latest updates, the NHC predicted that Milton would shift east-northeast tomorrow and Friday.
As of 4 AM CDT (10 AM Irish time), the eye of the hurricane was situated 485 km southwest of Tampa. Milton is anticipated to retain hurricane strength as it traverses the Florida peninsula, presenting storm surge threats along the Atlantic Coast as well.
An estimated 2.8% of the nation’s GDP lies directly in Milton’s strike zone, as noted by Ryan Sweet, chief US economist for Oxford Economics. Several airlines, energy companies, and even a Universal Studios theme park have begun curtailing operations in anticipation of severe disruptions.
Milton has earned the title of the third-fastest intensifying storm on record in the Atlantic, escalating from a Category 1 to a Category 5 in less than a day. “The extreme surface temperatures in the ocean are like rocket fuel for rapid intensification,” explained climate scientist Daniel Gilford from Climate Central, a nonprofit research organization. “We understand that the increasing levels of greenhouse gases, mainly from burning fossil fuels, drive up those temperatures worldwide.”
As Milton approaches, many areas in Tampa feel eerily desolate.
Mandatory evacuation orders have been enacted in over a dozen coastal counties, including Hillsborough County, home to Tampa. In Pinellas County, which encompasses St. Petersburg, evacuations have been ordered for over 500,000 individuals, while Lee County announced that 416,000 of its residents are in evacuation zones.
Evacuations also extend to mobile homes, nursing facilities, and assisted living centers.
Jamie Watts, who previously lost his trailer during Hurricane Ian in 2022, has decided to find refuge elsewhere in Fort Myers. “My wife’s relieved. We’re not stuck in that flimsy tin can,” he shared. “During Ian, we watched helplessly as my roof was torn apart. This time, we’re opting for safety.”
As bumper-to-bumper traffic overwhelmed routes leading from Tampa yesterday, reports indicated that roughly 17% of Florida’s nearly 8,000 gas stations had run out of fuel, according to Gas Buddy, a fuel markets tracker.
Scientists continue to link global warming with the increasing intensity of hurricanes. Warmer ocean temperatures release more water vapor, which fuels storms, intensifying their winds. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) even released footage from a specialized aircraft aptly named “Miss Piggy,” which flew directly into the hurricane to collect vital data.
Inside the aircraft, paperwork, equipment, and personal belongings were tossed about as the plane battled fierce wind conditions. On the ground, communities still grappling with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which struck Florida late last month, have hurried to clear any debris that could become hazardous projectiles once Milton arrives.
In Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, strong winds have caused trees and utility poles to topple, while heavy rains prompted flooding; fortunately, the region seems to have been spared from significant damage or casualties as the storm passes offshore.
Emergency workers across the southeastern United States continue to labor tirelessly to provide aid after Helene, which claimed at least 230 lives across multiple states. The storm made landfall on September 26 as a potent Category 4 hurricane, inflicting widespread flooding and destruction on remote inland towns far beyond Florida, including areas in North Carolina and Tennessee.
Helene stands as the most lethal natural disaster to strike the U.S. mainland since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, with the death toll still climbing.
Edited by: Ali Musa
Axadle international–Monitoring
