Mr. Biden urged evacuated residents in Florida to immediately go to a safe place to avoid Hurricane Milton, calling this a matter of survival.
“If the area has issued an evacuation order, you need to do this immediately. You need to evacuate immediately,” US President Joe Biden called on October 8. “This is a matter of survival, I’m not exaggerating.”
Mr. Biden said Milton could be the worst storm to hit Florida in more than a century. “Many people are scared to death. They know that their lives, as well as everything they strive for, possess and value, are at stake,” the President added.
US President Joe Biden during a meeting at the White House on October 8. Image: Reuters
Mr. Biden postponed his trip to Angola and Germany this week. “I should not leave the country at this time,” the President said.
According to an update at 11 a.m. on October 8 (10 p.m. Hanoi time) by the US National Hurricane Center (NHC), Milton is at intensity level 4 on the US 5-level scale, with wind speeds of up to 240 km/h. This agency believes that Milton will not become a level 5 storm again, but is expected to remain at level 4 on October 8 and 9. Hurricane Milton may weaken to category 3 when it makes landfall in Florida on the night of October 9, but is still very dangerous.
Nine counties in Florida have ordered mandatory evacuations. Officials urged people to evacuate as soon as possible to avoid traffic jams. “This will be one of the largest evacuations along the west coast of our state. If you hesitate, you will get stuck in traffic,” the Sarasota County government announced on October 8.
American media reported that the flow of evacuees was blocked for hours on the highway and gas stations ran out of fuel. The Florida Department of Transportation announced that vehicles will be allowed to enter emergency stopping lanes on some highways to reduce traffic congestion.
A long line of cars on the I-275 highway in Florida, USA as people evacuated to avoid Hurricane Milton on October 7. Video: X/HCSOSheriff
Governor Ron DeSantis confirmed that gas stations that run out of fuel will be restocked. “You may have to line up to get gas,” Mr. DeSantis added.
State officials say this could be the largest evacuation they have seen since Hurricane Irma in 2017, when nearly 7 million people were displaced.
Florida was one of the states hit by Hurricane Helene in late September. The storm left more than 230 people dead, devastating Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee. Helene is the deadliest storm to hit the US since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Many localities are trying to clean up debris after Hurricane Helene before Milton makes landfall.