Hurricane Milton hits Florida: Consequences of devastating disaster in US
Hurricane Milton rages in the United States (Getty Images)
On the night of October 10, Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida, causing tornadoes, flooding, and inundation. There have been reports of casualties, and millions of people are left without power due to the storm.
RBC-Ukraine has gathered key information about the hurricane's impact and its current strength in the article below.
Contents
- Where has Milton already hit and where is it heading
- Power outages, destruction, and casualties
- Political response to hurricane
Where has Milton already hit and where is it heading
Milton hit the Florida coastline as a Category 3 storm on Wednesday around 8:30 PM local time, with wind speeds exceeding 195 km/h, resulting in a barrage of tornadoes and floods.
Even before the storm made its main impact, tornadoes (at least 19 have been recorded in the state) and heavy rains on its periphery knocked out power for hundreds of thousands of residents.
Milton is known to have made landfall on Florida's central west coast near Siesta Key Island, close to the city of Sarasota. In St. Petersburg, FL, over 400 mm of rain fell during the storm, with half of that total occurring before the center of Milton made landfall.
Meteorologists point out that London, known as the "rainy city," averages less than 600 mm of rain per year.
Photo: Satellite image of Hurricane Milton over Florida, taken on October 10 (noaa.gov)
Later, as wind speeds decreased to around 160 km/h, Milton was downgraded to a Category 2 hurricane. However, it remained dangerous, and repeated flood warnings were issued in many parts of Florida, including nearby Tampa.
According to the latest data from the American National Hurricane Center, Milton has weakened to a Category 1 hurricane. Its center is currently located 105 km from Cape Canaveral, Florida, with maximum wind speeds of 150 km/h. The heaviest rainfall is currently occurring in the Orlando area, which is northwest of the hurricane's center.
Photo: Milton brought strong winds, heavy rain and flooding (Getty Images)
Although Milton's center is moving toward the Atlantic Ocean, it has only completed a small portion of its journey. Therefore, it remains a destructive hurricane and is expected to stay that way until it moves out to sea.
Photo: Milton weakened to a Category 1 hurricane (weather.com)
Power outages, destruction, and casualties
As a result of the storm, over 2.2 million homes and businesses in Florida have lost power. The most significant outages have occurred in Hardy County, as well as in neighboring Sarasota and Manatee counties.
The hurricane has also caused numerous damages. Specifically, the powerful winds destroyed the roof of the Tropicana Field baseball stadium in St. Petersburg. Television footage showed the fabric that serves as the roof of the domed building being ripped apart. This moment was captured on video.
The hurricane destroyed approximately 125 homes, most of which were mobile. There have been reports of casualties due to the storm, including in St. Lucie County. Additionally, at least two deaths have been recorded in a retirement community in Fort Pierce, although the exact number of fatalities is not specified.
It is known that even before Milton's arrival, about 5 million people were evacuated from the state. Authorities issued mandatory evacuation orders in 15 counties in Florida, with a total population of around 7.2 million people.
Photo: On the night of October 10, a powerful hurricane partially hit the US state of Florida (Getty Images)
Although it was anticipated that Tampa would bear the brunt of the storm, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis suggested that Tampa Bay might still be able to avoid significant damage and quickly restore maritime transport after the storm.
However, Milton remains an extremely dangerous storm capable of causing deadly storm surges, high winds, and flash floods in central Florida.
Political response to hurricane
US President Joe Biden issued a warning about the threat posed by Hurricane Milton, emphasizing its extraordinary destructive power. He urged people to seek safe shelter and condemned the spread of misinformation regarding the storm, labeling such actions as "anti-American."
According to Reuters, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump attempted to portray the White House's response to recent storms as "ineffective."
Biden said that it harms those in need of assistance, addressing those spreading misinformation about the hurricane and the government's response.
When asked why Trump spreads misinformation, Biden replied that he did not know.
Current Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris also issued a statement. She said that misleading people who are desperately in need of help is dangerous and unacceptable.
As a reminder, the destructive Hurricane Milton struck Florida just as the state was still reeling from the devastating impact of Hurricane Helen, which resulted in over 200 fatalities and the destruction of many communication and infrastructure facilities in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, and Virginia.
Sources: the American National Hurricane Center, as well as publications from the Associated Press, CNBC, CNN, BBC, and Reuters.
