Hurricane Milton, now category 5, will hit Florida between Wednesday October 9 and Thursday October 10. Thousands of Americans are evacuating by road, as “destructive winds” of up to 285 km/h are expected between Wednesday and Thursday.
Images worthy of The Walking Dead. Florida’s highways were overloaded this Monday, October 7, as Hurricane Milton approached, which is expected to hit the southeastern United States in the middle of the week. “If the storm stays on its current path, it will be the worst to hit the Tampa area in more than 100 years,” warned the weather services of this large Florida city.
With “destructive winds” of up to 285 km/h, according to the American Hurricane Center (NHC), the hurricane is expected to bring “destructive waves” to the Yucatan.
“If you choose to stay, you will die”
Milton is a “ferocious” hurricane, warned Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. “You have time to leave. So please do it,” he urged residents of at-risk areas.
On CNN this Monday, the mayor of Tampa warned residents in areas that must evacuate: “If you choose to stay, you will die.” To facilitate these evacuations, the Florida authorities have announced that they will make tolls free. They expect “the largest evacuations” since 2017 and Hurricane Irma.
In images published by witnesses and local authorities, hundreds of vehicles could be seen heading north. “We strongly advise motorists to drive with caution and expect extended delays,” warned the Hillsborough Sheriff’s Office.
Milton is expected to cross Florida from southwest to northeast between Wednesday evening and Thursday morning. 51 of the state’s 67 counties are under a state of emergency.
The 5th most intense hurricane in history in the region
The hurricane, which intensified “explosively” on Monday, could be catastrophic, warns the American Hurricane Center (NHC). In its latest bulletin, this source explains that the atmospheric pressure in the center of the eye has reached a level of 897 hectopascals. It is the 5th most intense hurricane ever recorded on the Atlantic coast.
His arrival comes at a time when Republicans and Democrats continue to argue over the response of federal authorities to the cataclysm caused by Hurricane Helen, which caused at least 230 deaths in the southeast of the United States, including at least 15 in Florida.
Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump accuses the federal state, led by Democrats, of having done too little, too late, to provide assistance to the disaster victims, which President Joe Biden and his vice-president Kamala Harris, candidate for the November 5 presidential election, strongly contest.
“Playing political games right now, in these crisis situations – we are at the height of it – is simply irresponsible and selfish,” lambasted Kamala Harris. And added: “it’s playing politics, instead of doing the job you took an oath to do, which is to put the people first.”
