As it moves through the Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Milton grew this Monday to category 4 (out of 5) and is expected to make landfall in Florida on Wednesday, where there is extreme concern about the damage it could cause. There are already states declared in emergency and even In some areas, preventive evacuations began.
Milton increased his intensity with sustained winds of 205 km/h and gusts reaching up to 250 km/h, reported the United States Hurricane Center (NHC). Thus, it became a cyclone “extremely dangerous”warned the specialists of the same entity.
This is the second major hurricane recorded in the Gulf of Mexico in two weeks, after Helene, which left more than 230 dead, dozens missing and a trail of 800 kilometers of destruction from which several states in the southeastern United States, especially North Carolina, have not yet recovered.
Florida authorities ordered this Monday evacuate some regions of Pasco County and Anna Maria Island, near Tampa, for Milton’s advance.
The entire region is on alert. Disney parks, about 130 kilometers from Tampa, they keep tourists informed about the evolution of the climate phenomenon. “Walt Disney World Resort is currently operating under normal conditions. We are closely monitoring the projected storm track as we continue to prioritize the safety of our visitors,” highlights a notice on the official website.
The NHC warned that the most powerful hurricanes, category 3 and above, generate “devastating damage” even for houses of firm construction, and that “There will be a lack of electricity and water for several days after the storm passes.”
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor told CNN that the city was still cleaning up after Helene and that rain from the new storm would be “pretty complicated, not to mention the storm surge and wind damage.”
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared 51 of the state’s 67 counties in an emergency situation, and warned that Milton could have “very important impacts.”
President Joe Biden already announced in a statement that the government is preparing “life-saving resources.”
The NHC expects Milton to move north of the Yucatan Peninsula and into the southern Gulf of Mexico this Monday and Tuesday.
Its storm surge “will raise water levels by up to 1.2 meters” along the northern coast of Yucatán and will cause “large and destructive waves”, predicted on Monday.
Helene struck the Florida coast as a Category 4 hurricane on September 26 and left a path of destruction inland to the Appalachian Mountains, bringing torrential rains and flooding. Besides, It became the deadliest natural disaster to hit the country since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
The number of victims continues to rise and first responders continue working to find survivors and bring power and clean water to mountain communities isolated by the storm.