As of: October 7th, 2024 10:19 p.m
Just a few days ago, the storm “Helene” caused severe devastation in the southeast of the USA – now “Milton”, a hurricane of the highest category, is racing towards the coast. Meteorologists expect floods and storm surges.
Hurricane “Milton” continues to gain strength off the west coast of the US state of Florida. The US Hurricane Center classified the cyclone as a Category 5 hurricane with sustained wind speeds of up to almost 260 kilometers per hour. The storm is expected to make landfall on Florida’s west coast in the middle of the week.
The US civil protection agency Fema issued an urgent warning about the approaching storm and called on the population to follow evacuation orders from the authorities. US President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency for the state of Florida. This will release federal funds for support in the affected regions. The hurricane center warned of life-threatening storm surges and damaging winds.
NASA spacecraft launch date postponed
Metropolises like Tampa and Orlando could be on “Milton’s” course. While Florida is likely to be hit hard again, the other states in the southeastern US that have already been devastated by Hurricane Helene could be largely spared this time – if the storm stays on its course. The hurricane center warned that storm surges of up to 12 feet could occur in the Tampa Bay area. Large amounts of rain are expected inland.
Due to the approaching hurricane, the launch of NASA’s “Europa Clipper” space probe, which was actually planned for Thursday, was canceled. The probe was actually supposed to launch from the spaceport on the east coast of Florida to one of Jupiter’s four largest moons called “Europe”.
“The safety of our launch personnel is our highest priority and every precautionary measure is being taken to protect the Europa Clipper spacecraft,” said NASA official Tim Dunn, according to the statement. A new start date has not yet been set. Start attempts are possible until November 6th.
Storm “Helene” has already brought destruction
Storm “Helene” made landfall in northwest Florida as a second-highest category hurricane just over a week ago. The storm then weakened, but caused severe flooding and destruction as it moved north.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said it was important to clear the Helene’s debris before the Milton arrived so that the pieces would not become missiles. The storm killed more than 200 people in six states – Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
