Another hurricane threatens Florida as the United States still recovers from the devastation left by Helene

The state of Florida prepares for the arrival of Hurricane Milton this week, as the southeastern United States continues to recover from the devastation caused by Cyclone Helene, which caused at least 230 deaths and interfered in the US election campaign.

Tropical Storm Milton It became a category 1 hurricane this Sunday after its winds intensified to the 129 kilometers per hour, as reported by the National Hurricane Center (NHC, in English) of the United States.

The phenomenon is forecast to rapidly gain power and danger as it moves from east to northeast across the Gulf of Mexico, and It could make landfall next Wednesday as a potentially destructive Category 3 hurricane.

This Sunday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis The number of counties in a state of emergency increased to 51 included in the executive order that he signed on Saturday and alerted the population to take the hurricane seriously.

President Joe Biden is being informed of Milton’s progress and, as he stated in a statement, all “life-saving resources are being prepared before the storm.”

“I urge all Florida residents to listen to local officials and make the necessary preparations,” he noted.

Las consequences of Hurricane Milton are beginning to be felt. NASA and SpaceX postponed the launch of the Europa Clipper mission this Sunday until further notice, which was scheduled to take off from Florida next Thursday and which has now been put on hold due to the foreseeable impact of the tropical cyclone: ​​it is expected to cause heavy rain and winds at Cape Canaveral.

“After the hurricane and once we have the go-ahead, followed by the evaluation of the facilities and recovery actions, we will determine the next launch opportunity for this flagship NASA mission,” said Tim Dunn, director at the Launch Services Program of the US space agency.

The Europa Clipper spacecraft had been moved on Friday to the launch pad 39A hangar at the Kennedy Space Center, as part of final preparations for the launch. journey that will take to the icy moon of the planet Jupiter.

According to NASA, the ship is secured at the Kennedy Center, which began this Sunday preparations to endure Milton’s arrival.

Europa Clipper, the largest spacecraft ever built by NASA for planetary exploration, will orbit Jupiter’s icy moon Europa and will seek to determine if it can harbor life.

After taking off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the spacecraft will cover 1.8 billion miles (2.9 billion kilometers) until reaching Jupiter in 2030 to observe the moon Europa, which is believed to support conditions under its surface suitable for life: water, energy and chemistry.

The US space agency manages until next November 6 other possible release dates for this mission, which will last four years

The president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, warned that the circulation of Hurricane Milton in the Gulf of Mexico will originate in the next few hours very strong and intense rains in states in the northeast, east, south and southeast of the country, including the Yucatan Peninsula.

“Even though the hurricane remains away from the Mexican coast, intense rains are expected to occur during the next few hours, in Veracruz, Campeche, Quintana Roo, Tabasco, the coasts of Tamaulipas and Yucatán“said the president in a message on social networks.

Given these conditions, “we ask the population of these states to be attentive to the official information and follow the instructions of the Civil Protection authorities“he added.

In addition to heavy rains, wind gusts of 50 to 70 kilometers per hour and waves of one to three meters high on the coasts of Campeche, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Veracruz and western Yucatán.

Hurricane Milton will hit the US territory after Helene caused, after entering northwest Florida on September 26 as a category 4 hurricane, a trail of more than 800 kilometers of devastation by states in the southeastern United States, with special intensity in North Carolina.

It also left more than 230 dead and dozens missing, becoming the deadliest hurricane in the US since Katrina in 2005.

Biden ordered this Sunday sending another 500 soldiers western North Carolina to work in the recovery efforts and in the search for the dozens of missing people.

The troops join the 1,000 that were sent to the area this week, in response to the request of Democratic Governor Roy Cooper.

In addition to the 1,500 soldiers, there are more than 6,100 National Guard members and more than 7,000 federal personnel in the area. “My administration spares no resources to support families as they begin their path to reconstruction,” the president said.

In a statement, the White House reported that federal assistance for survivors of Hurricane Helene now exceeds 137 million dollars, in “one of the largest mobilizations of federal personnel, partners and resources in recent history.”

To date, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has sent more than 14.9 million kilos of food, more than 13.9 million liters of water, 157 generators and more than 505,000 tarps to the region , he pointed out.

Those affected by the disaster in Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia They can begin their recovery process by applying for federal assistance through FEMA, the White House said.

Helene has not only left a wave of destruction in the southeast of the country but also has sneaked into the electoral campaign, with one month left until the presidential elections of November 5.

The catastrophe has served the Republican candidate, the former president Donald Trump (2017-2021), to unleash a series of fake news about the government’s response to the tragedy.

In several of his events and interviews this week, Trump He went so far as to point out that the federal government is not helping those affected by Helene because it has spent its funds helping migrants arriving in the United States.

At an event this Sunday in Juneau, Wisconsin, he again criticized FEMA, for the “worst response in history” given after the passage of a hurricane and insisted on the false information that the agency He is only offering 750 dollars to the victims, while the Biden Government “sends millions of dollars to foreign nations.”

FEMA explained this week that It is only the immediate and advance help that survivors can receive to cover basic and urgent needs such as food and water, but who can then access a series of aid funds.

The vice president and Democratic candidate, Kamala Harris, visited North Carolina on Saturday to assess hurricane damage and highlighted the “extraordinary work” that FEMA has deployed on the ground.