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Milton could bring 6-foot storm surge to Yucatan’s north coast
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Mexican city of Mérida, nearby ports brace for high waves and potential for dangerous winds and rain
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Governor DeSantis and President Biden declare state of emergency in Florida
Written by Brendan O’Brien
Oct. 7 – Hurricane Milton on Monday bypassed the northern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula, where tourist areas and cargo ports are located, and rapidly strengthened in the southern Gulf of Mexico, where it is expected to hit Florida this week.
A Category 5 hurricane, the strongest on the Saffir-Simpson scale, is confirmed to be producing a storm surge that could raise water levels by up to 6 feet along the north coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. .
The region is home to the picturesque colonial city of Mérida, home to several Mayan ruins popular with tourists, and the Port of Progreso is also nearby.
Milton is about 165 miles west of the port and is moving east at 9 mph and could turn northeast toward the Florida Gulf Coast by late Tuesday or early Wednesday, according to the Miami-based Hurricane Center. It is expected to proceed.
It estimated the hurricane’s maximum sustained wind speed at 175 miles per hour.
The center said Milton, like other storm systems this hurricane season, has intensified “explosively” and experts say it has been made stronger by rising ocean temperatures.
Floridians are scrambling near Tampa this week to prepare for its arrival, which could bring fierce winds, life-threatening storm surge and heavy rain to Mexico’s Gulf Coast for the second time in two weeks.
The hurricane is seen making landfall in the heavily populated Tampa St. Paul area of Florida. The hurricane center said it hit the St. Petersburg area on Wednesday before heading across the state and across the Atlantic Ocean.
“This is going to be powerful, so please take the appropriate precautions,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference after declaring a state of emergency for 51 counties. “This can cause a lot of damage.”
President Joe Biden also declared a state of emergency in Florida and authorized the federal government to begin disaster relief efforts.
Relief efforts have already begun across the southeastern United States in the wake of Category 4 Hurricane Helen, which killed more than 200 people in six states. It was the deadliest named storm to hit the continental United States since Hurricane Katrina killed about 1,400 people in 2005. As Milton batters Florida, predictions for the Atlantic hurricane season are looking more accurate than they were in early September. , typically the peak time of named storm formation.
Milton is the ninth hurricane of the season and the second Atlantic storm to reach Category 5 this season, following Beryl, which became the earliest storm to reach Category 5 in July.
The hurricane is expected to bring heavy rain to Campeche and Yucatan states on Monday and Tuesday, Mexico’s meteorological authorities said.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to the text.
