TAMPA, Florida, USA. —
Hurricane Milton weakened slightly Tuesday but remained a ferocious storm that could deliver a once-in-a-century direct hit to the populous Tampa region with towering storm surges and turn debris left behind by Hurricane Helene into projectiles. 12 days.
Most of Florida’s west coast was under a hurricane or tropical storm warning as the system and its 155 mph (249 kph) winds passed near Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.
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Businesses are seen in a debris field following Hurricane Helene, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in Chimney Rock Village, North Carolina
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Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks with Georgia Governor Brian Kemp during a briefing at the Columbia County Emergency Management Agency while visiting areas affected by Hurricane Helene, Friday, Oct. 4 2024, in Evans, Georgia.
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President Joe Biden greets people in Keaton Beach, Florida, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, during his tour of areas affected by Hurricane Helene.
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President Joe Biden can view areas affected by Hurricane Helene near Chimney Rock, North Carolina, on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, as he flies in Marine One to survey the area.
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David DeMeza walks with his belongings through streets covered in sand carried by Hurricane Helene, on October 2, 2024, in Treasure Island, Florida
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Andy Brown takes a break sitting on a downed tree that destroyed his truck when it fell during Hurricane Helene in Augusta, Georgia, on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024.
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Dominick Gucciardo walks home after Hurricane Helene, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Pensacola, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
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Homes and vehicles damaged by flash flooding caused by Hurricane Helene lie on the side of a road near the Swannanoa River, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, in Swannanoa, N.C. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
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Intense waves surround the St. Pete Pier as Hurricane Helene passes west of Tampa Bay, Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Milton’s vortex could reach Tampa Bay, which has a population of more than 3.3 million people, as early as Wednesday night. The county where Tampa is located ordered the evacuation of areas adjacent to the bay and all mobile and manufactured homes by Tuesday night.
“You don’t have to get on the interstate and go very far,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference Tuesday morning, assuring residents there would be enough gas for the trip. “They can go tens of kilometers away; They don’t have to be hundreds. “There are options.”
DeSantis said the state has helped evacuate more than 200 health care facilities in Milton’s path and there are 36 county-run shelters. The state has also worked to remove debris from recent Hurricane Helene, so it doesn’t become projectiles when Milton hits. The governor indicated that the state has deployed more than 300 dump trucks that are working 24 hours a day and have removed 1,200 loads of debris.
U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor said 7,000 federal workers are helping in one of the largest mobilizations in history.
A search and rescue team, consisting of a dog and its handler, searches for victims in the mud after Hurricane Helene, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, in Swannanoa, North Carolina
(Mike Stewart/AP)
“I need people to listen to their local officials and get out of harm’s way,” said Deanne Criswell, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. “People don’t have to go far away. You just have to move inside” the state.
Lifeguards on the peninsula that forms Tampa Bay removed beach chairs and other items that could fly away in strong winds.
The National Hurricane Center downgraded Milton early Tuesday to a Category 4 hurricane, but forecasters said it still posed “an extremely serious threat to Florida.” Milton intensified rapidly on Monday, becoming a Category 5 storm at noon with maximum sustained winds of 180 mph (285 km/h) before weakening slightly.
Meanwhile, in Mexico, authorities in the state of Yucatán reported only minor damage from Milton, which remained near the coast on Tuesday morning. Power lines, poles, and trees were downed near the coast, and some small thatched-roof structures were destroyed, according to Yucatán Governor Joaquín Díaz, who reported no deaths or injuries.
The worst hurricane in a century
Tampa Bay has not been directly hit by a major hurricane in more than a century. Scientists expect Milton to weaken slightly before its arrival, although it could maintain hurricane status as it moves across central Florida toward the Atlantic Ocean. According to the forecast, it would avoid other states hit by Helene, which caused at least 230 deaths on its way from Florida to the Appalachians.
The last time Tampa Bay received a direct hit from a meteor of this caliber was in 1921, and authorities fear that the fate of the region and its inhabitants is about to run out. President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for Florida and House Representative Kathy Castor said 7,000 federal workers were mobilized to help in one of the largest operations in history.
“This Milton thing is serious,” Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said at a news conference Monday. “If you want to take on Mother Nature, she will win 100% of the time.”
Recovering from Helene
The Tampa Bay area continues to recover from Helene and its powerful storm surge: a wall of water up to 8 feet (2.4 meters) high that was created when its vortex was still 100 miles (160 kilometers) from the coast. coast. Twelve people died there and the worst damage was reported in the island chain between St. Petersburg and Clearwater.
David Jalving and his family spent the morning removing planters and outdoor furniture at his parents’ house, which was heavily damaged by Ian. They returned to the house just six months ago.
“It’s getting old and every year it seems like it’s getting worse,” said Jalving, who hopes to convince her parents to move. He himself is also considering leaving Florida.
“I can’t deal with another one,” he said.
The forecast indicated that Milton could generate a storm surge of between 2.4 and 3.4 meters (8 to 12 feet), prompting evacuation orders for Gulf coastal communities. In Florida, this means that anyone left behind must fend for themselves and that rescuers are not expected to put themselves in harm’s way to assist them at the height of the storm.
Stragglers were a problem during Helene and Ian in 2022. Many residents did not heed warnings, saying that when they left in previous storms, high surge warnings failed to materialize. But on Monday there were signs that people were leaving before Milton arrived.
A steady stream of vehicles headed north toward Florida’s northwest panhandle on Interstate 75, the main highway in the western peninsula, as residents followed evacuation orders. Traffic was backed up in the southbound lanes of the highway for miles as other residents headed toward the relative safety of Fort Lauderdale and Miami, on the other side of the state.
Biden postpones trip
President Joe Biden told reporters that this “could be the worst storm to hit Florida in more than a century.” “God willing it will not be. But that’s what it looks like right now.”
Hours earlier, the White House reported that Biden will postpone his scheduled trip to Germany and Angola to remain at the White House to monitor Hurricane Milton.
Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the change was necessary “given the projected track and strength” of the storm.
There was no indication when the trip might be rescheduled. Biden promised to go to Africa during his term, which ends in January.
