Storm-plagued Florida: Florida is preparing for Hurricane Milton

In the storm-plagued US state of Florida, less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene, people are already preparing for the next monster storm. Helene was just a wake-up call, said Tampa Mayor Jane Castor on CNN. Hurricane Milton is now literally catastrophic.

The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) downgraded Milton to a force four hurricane on Tuesday. Nevertheless, the cyclone remains an extremely dangerous hurricane with wind speeds of more than 230 kilometers per hour, the authority warned.

If Milton stays on its current course, the area around the city of Tampa on Florida’s west coast could be the “worst storm” in more than 100 years, the NHC said. According to forecasts, Milton, which temporarily reached the strength of a hurricane of the highest level five on Monday, will first sweep over the Mexican Yucatán Peninsula and then probably make landfall in Florida on the night of Wednesday to Thursday.

“Whoever stays will die”

Tampa Mayor Castor chose drastic words on CNN: “I can say this without any dramatization: If you decide to stay in one of these evacuation areas, you will die,” she said. Governor Ron DeSantis assured that despite long lines at gas stations, there was enough gasoline to enable all residents to escape the hurricane. In Tampa, more than 200 hospitals and other health care facilities have been evacuated.

Weather presenter John Morales fought back tearswhen he reported on a local station how quickly “Milton” had developed from a category one hurricane to a maximum hurricane. “This is just terrible,” he said. Scientists say climate change increases the likelihood of severe storms because warmer ocean water allows more water vapor to rise, providing additional energy to the storms.

In Orlando, in the center of the state, numerous people waited in long lines of cars to stock up on sandbags. “People think it’s going to be pretty bad,” said 32-year-old Tony Carlson. He added that he might seek safety in the neighboring state of Georgia with his pets.

In Tampa, numerous animals have already been moved to protected areas at the city’s zoo. In Yucatán, Mexico, people barricaded glass doors and windows. Fishermen pulled their boats ashore and schools were closed. In the online service X, Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum warned the population of “torrential rain”. Heavy rainfall is also feared in Florida, where flash floods are expected locally, according to authorities.

The consequences of Helene are still being felt

Florida and other states in the southeast of the USA were only hit at the end of September by Storm Helene, which caused massive damage as a hurricane with a strength of four. According to US authorities, at least 230 people died in the storm.

Numerous communities are still struggling with the effects. In preparation for Milton on Monday, residents in the town of Treasure Island in western Florida tried to clear away debris left behind by Helene. Otherwise, the debris threatens to become “just fodder for the wind,” which will then simply be blown down the street “and who knows what will happen,” said homeowner David Levitsky.

Biden postpones his foreign trips

US President Joe Biden is postponing his trip to Germany and Angola planned for Thursday and the following days because of Hurricane Milton, which is heading towards Florida. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the change in plans was necessary given the predicted strength of the storm.

“It’s a matter of life and death,” warned Biden. The US president described Milton as a potentially “destructive” storm that could be one of the worst to hit Florida in the past hundred years. He called on people in the affected regions to seek safety.

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