Florida’s West Coast ramped up emergency preparations Tuesday for the impact of Hurricane Milton, with thousands of evacuees clogging highways and battling fuel shortages, and Tampa’s mayor telling residents they can stay here if they don’t. “You’re going to die,” he frankly warned.
The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Milton would remain a major hurricane and would “increase in size” as it passed the Mexican city of Merida, approached Florida, and then turned north toward the United States. Announced.
The storm’s eye closed on Monday night and its winds weakened slightly, reshaping it into a “very dangerous” Category 4 hurricane with gusts of 155 mph (250 kph). As of Tuesday afternoon, the storm had strengthened again in the Gulf of Mexico, becoming a Category 5 storm.
Milton could be hit with life-threatening storm surge of up to 15 feet (4.5 meters), making it “one of the most destructive hurricanes on record in central and central Florida,” the NHC said.
“This is a very serious threat and Floridians are urged to listen to their local authorities,” the center said. Residents should “prepare their families and homes” and evacuate if instructed to do so.
Joe Biden said Hurricane Milton could be one of the worst storms in the United States in 100 years, and advised residents to evacuate immediately as a “matter of life and death.”
Milton is expected to hit the southwestern coast of Florida by Wednesday night local time, according to the latest information from the National Weather Service, devastating an area already reeling from the damage caused by Hurricane Helen about two weeks ago. announced that it could cause
Hurricane warnings have been issued for most of Florida’s west coast, with more than 1 million people urged to evacuate to avoid devastating damage and power outages that could last for days.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned residents seeking to leave that time is running out. “If you want to leave, leave now,” he said at a news conference Tuesday afternoon.
“Let’s prepare for the worst, pray that it weakens, and pray that the damage is kept to a minimum,” he said at a news conference earlier in the day. “No,” he said. Florida coast. ”
The U.S. president canceled his trip to Angola and Germany less than a day after announcing it during a news conference, but press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre responded to a question about emergency disaster funds after journalists misinformed him. It ended abruptly, accusing me of spreading the word. .
The president also approved DeSantis’ request to declare a federal emergency, calling disinformation in the aftermath of Hurricane Helen “un-American.”
The remarks came after DeSantis’ aides said the governor had not responded to Vice President Kamala Harris’ calls and pointed to the intense politicization of his response to Herren and Milton.
Harris later said that a moment of crisis “should be a moment when those who call themselves leaders declare they are going to put politics aside and put the people first.”
DeSantis countered that Harris is “somehow selfish and delusional to say I’m only focused on the people of Florida.”
“She has no role in this. In fact, she’s been vice president for three and a half years. I’ve dealt with a number of storms under this administration. She has no role in any of these efforts. “What I think is selfish is that she’s trying to fail at this because she hasn’t contributed anything to this,” he continued.
With just one day left until residents leave, local officials say they are dealing with traffic jams, long lines at gas stations, and debris from homes piled up on sidewalks from last week’s Hurricane Helen in Milton. He expressed concern that it could become a flying object.
DeSantis told reporters that crews had made “tremendous success” in removing debris, removing 1,300 truckloads in just over 48 hours.
But nearly one-fifth of Florida’s gas stations were out of fuel by Tuesday afternoon, according to the tracking website GasBuddy. It said 17.4% of the station was dry by 2pm, up from 14.5% earlier in the day.
Forecasters and officials in the United States fear Milton could make landfall in the Tampa Bay region, home to more than 3 million people. Tampa hasn’t been hit by a major hurricane since 1921.
Hurricane modelers have long warned that the Tampa Bay area is especially vulnerable to rising sea levels caused by storm surges because the ocean floor is wide and shallow and can push up water.
The mayor of low-lying Tampa has issued a stern warning to residents as Hurricane Milton rages through the Gulf of Mexico.
“If you choose to stay…you’re going to die,” Mayor Jane Castor said.
Castor gave a frank assessment to CNN on Monday, while calling Milton a “literally catastrophic” hurricane expected to push up to 15 feet of Gulf water inland, an amount officials said It is said to be a lethal dose.
Hurricane Helen, which made landfall in late September, spread from Florida to the Appalachian Mountains, killing more than 200 people and causing devastating damage. The pile of building rubble left in Helen’s wake is at risk of turning into dangerous debris if caught in Milton’s floodwaters and winds.
The National Weather Service downgraded Milton to a Category 4 hurricane early Tuesday, but forecasters said it still posed a very serious threat. Around 5 p.m. ET on Tuesday, the National Hurricane Center announced that Milton had returned to “Category 5 strength.”
“While fluctuations in intensity are expected, Milton is projected to remain a very dangerous hurricane until it makes landfall in Florida,” the agency said.
The slight weakening from Category 5 status occurred after Milton’s pressure increased slightly from 879 mbar to 924 mbar. It happened when Milton appeared to be undergoing an eyewall replacement. This can cause a temporary increase in air pressure and reduce its intensity.
However, this phenomenon tends to widen the hurricane and increase its wind field. Forecasts call for the hurricane to strengthen again to Category 5, then weaken as it approaches Florida, but the storm’s impact remains strong.
Milton is on track to be the 10th major hurricane of Category 3 or higher to make landfall on the U.S. Gulf Coast since 2017, gaining strength from the warm waters of the Gulf. The agency said Milton was the third fastest-intensifying storm on record in the Atlantic Ocean.
Weather and climate experts attribute the frequency of such powerful and destructive storms to the climate crisis caused by the burning of fossil fuels.
Before Milton’s arrival, DeSantis declared a state of emergency in 51 of 67 counties. “What you want to avoid is staying in areas that are going to be hit by 10, 15-foot storm surges,” he told Fox News on Monday.
DeSantis also urged Floridians to ensure they have a week’s worth of food and water and to prepare for further evacuation orders.
The governor is a fossil fuel advocate who has criticized climate change efforts as being led by “radical green fanatics.”
