Hurricane Milton, the “storm of the century,” made landfall on Siesta Key in Tampa Bay in southwest Florida, overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. But the worst, authorities warn, is yet to come. The hurricane was preceded by torrential rains and several tornadoes. According to American media, around 250,000 people are already without electricity. According to the North American National Hurricane Center (NHC), the strongest hurricane in history fell to category 2. By 3 a.m. (US time), the wind speed had dropped to 165 kilometers per hour. The center is located 120 kilometers southwest of Orlando.
Milton's Emergency
A flood emergency has been issued for the Tampa Bay area. It affects the cities of Tampa, Saint Petersburg and Clearwater. St. Petersburg has received 422 millimeters of rain since Wednesday, October 9. Sisa Key, a town of 5,400 people off the coast of Sarasota, is where the hurricane made landfall. Meteorologists estimate that sea water levels could rise up to 4 meters. Milton has already spawned 19 tornadoes. Numerous casualties have been reported following a tornado in Fort Pierce, on Florida's east coast. The tornadoes caused damage in many counties and destroyed about 125 homes, most of which were mobile homes, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said. More than 1.3 million homes and businesses in Florida were left without power. “At this point, it is too dangerous to evacuate safely. So you have to take cover,” DeSantis said.
Forecasts
The hurricane, once it passes Florida, is expected to move over the western Atlantic and fall below hurricane strength this evening. But there will still be risks of storm surges on the Atlantic coast. Tropical storm force winds engulf much of the state. At sea, the hurricane created waves 8.5 meters high, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said. In a state already hit by Hurricane Helen two weeks ago, two million people have been ordered to evacuate and millions more live in the storm's predicted path. The two storms are expected to cause damage estimated in the billions of dollars. Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden, speaking from the White House, warned that the hurricane would have a destructive impact, urging people to find safe shelter and condemning lies and misinformation about the storm, described as “anti-American”.
Disinformation
Biden's criticism was aimed at Donald Trump, who continues to falsely accuse the Biden-Harris administration of not having money for hurricane victims because it spent it on migrants (but those are government posts). separate expenses) and having responded poorly to the hurricane. Helene urgently. When asked why he thought Trump was spreading disinformation, Biden said, “I don’t know. I just don't know. You can speculate, but I find it un-American. It doesn't reflect who we are. What are they talking about?”
The article Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida: 19 tornadoes, floods, victims comes from Open.
