Several deaths have been reported in Florida as a result of Hurricane Milton, which has hit the southern US state since 2:30 am Dutch time. Nearly two million homes are without power, but this does not (yet) apply to the Dutch Eric van Hofwegen from Tampa. “It could very well be that the power goes out in five minutes, but we are prepared. We know what we have to do.”
Flooding is common in the western city of Tampa. According to news channel CNN, emergency services in that city stopped their work due to the dangerous wind. St. Petersburg, which is located near Tampa, announced that the city’s drinking water supply has been shut down due to a water main break. In addition, several people were injured by tornadoes in southeast Florida.
Third hurricane for Van Hofwegen
“We can easily reach the windows downstairs, so we put all the wood on the outside of the windows,” says Van Hofwegen in Goedemorgen Nederland on NPO 1. “On the second floor we did that on the inside. If something flies towards the window and it breaks, at least the glass won’t fall in.”
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Because the risk of power outages is very high, he freezes bottles of water and puts food in the freezer so that it does not spoil. “We have filled bathtubs and buckets, because the water can also fall out.”
It is the third time that Van Hofwegen has experienced a hurricane up close. “We still had the planks in the garage from last time. We could put it straight on the windows. It sounds strange, but we are prepared.”
Hurricane weakened
According to the National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Milton has now been weakened to category 1. The maximum wind speed has also fallen from 190 to 145 kilometers per hour. Nevertheless, the hurricane remains dangerous and several cities in Florida have issued emergency warnings about flooding.
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The eye of the hurricane made landfall in western Siesta Key. Governor Ron DeSantis said at a news conference that there are 19 tornadoes and 116 tornado warnings have been issued.
Also read:
Florida is preparing for the strongest hurricane in 100 years, but: ‘Don’t immediately believe all the images on social media’
By: Rick Hartkamp
