Sarasota, USA:
Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida Wednesday night with fierce winds, life-threatening rain and storm surge, as people who endured another hurricane just two weeks ago prepared for a long, violent night.
The National Hurricane Center announced in a preliminary report at 8:30 p.m. (0:30 a.m. Japan time) that an “extremely dangerous” Category 3 storm had made landfall near Siesta Key, a heavily populated area on the state’s west coast.
“The storm has arrived. It’s time for everyone to hunker down,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference shortly before Milton’s arrival.
Life-threatening storm surge, polar winds and flash flooding are occurring across the central Florida peninsula, according to the NHC.
Storm surge is expected to inundate the populous, low-lying Gulf Coast region of western Florida, amid fears of widespread disruption and possible deaths.
Milton is then expected to move inland and reach the Atlantic Ocean, putting Orlando, the tourist hub of Walt Disney World, in its path.
When Milton hit land, sustained winds of 120 mph (205 kph) and storm surge of up to 13 feet (4 meters) were possible, the NHC said.
Winds howled with ferocity and torrential rain fell in cities up and down Florida’s west coast as frightened people evacuated where they could.
In Sarasota, near Siesta Key, gusts of wind blew out glass from buildings along the waterfront. The street was deserted. The trees swayed almost horizontally, barely able to withstand the wind. Shops were closed and sandbags were filled.
Someone wrote “Please be kind, Milton” on a wooden board fixed to the window of an old red brick building.
Shortly before landfall, DeSantis said it was too late and too dangerous to evacuate anyone, and that people everywhere should stay put and ride out the storm.
“Please stay indoors and stay off the roads. Flooding and rapid storm surge are extremely dangerous,” the governor said.
Airports in Tampa and Sarasota are closed until further notice.
“Another storm”
Milton comes just two weeks after another major hurricane, Helen, struck Florida and other southeastern states with devastating and deadly effects.
“We’re nervous. This is what we just experienced in another storm. The ground is saturated but we’re still recovering from that,” pool business owner Randy Prior told AFP. he said.
Prior, 36, said she plans to ride out the storm at home after recently defeating Hurricane Helen, which caused flooding in Florida and wreaked havoc in remote parts of the interior, including western North Carolina.
The Weather Channel reported that “numerous tornadoes” touched down in south central Florida.
Presidential candidate Donald Trump falsely claims aid is flowing from residents, many of them Republicans, and is being directed to immigrants as the storm hits the southeastern United States in the wake of the deadly Helen and is aiming for political advantage.
At the White House on Wednesday, President Joe Biden denounced the “onslaught of lies” from the former Republican president and current candidate.
“Disinformation and outright lies are being promoted in a reckless, irresponsible and relentless manner,” Biden said in an angry statement.
Vice President Kamala Harris, who is facing Trump at the polls, echoed Biden’s criticism in a separate phone interview with CNN.
“Frankly, it’s dangerous and unconscionable for people who think of themselves as leaders to mislead desperate people so that they don’t get the help they deserve. ” she said.
Emergency workers are struggling to provide relief efforts in the southeastern United States after the Helen tragedy, which left at least 235 people dead.
Scientists argue that global warming is contributing to severe storms, as warmer ocean surfaces release more water vapor, providing additional energy to storms and worsening winds.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
