The US state of Florida is on alert because of the great danger posed by hurricane Milton, the second in less than two weeks after the one named Helene. A state of emergency has been declared in several counties as hundreds of thousands of people are being evacuated, causing chaos and gridlock on the roads.
Milton was re-strengthened to a Category 5 hurricane, the highest level on the five-point Saffir-Simpson scale, and is forecast to make landfall on the west coast of Florida on Wednesday evening, according to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC).
Milton is currently located about 775 kilometers southwest of Tampa, with sustained winds of up to 270 km/h, the NHC said. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis urged residents to prepare for a "ferocious" storm, calling it the strongest hurricane to hit the Gulf of Mexico since 2005.
"Let's prepare for the worst and hope it abates. If you choose to stay in one of the evacuation zones, you will die"He said.
If it doesn't change course, Milton is expected to become the worst hurricane to hit the Tampa area in a century, forecasters warned.
Because of Milton's large size, tropical storm-force winds are expected across nearly all of Florida. These winds are likely to cause extensive damage to property and trees and leave millions without power.
Hurricane Milton is expected to bring a destructive storm surge to Florida's west coast. @StephanieAbrams uses our FloodFX simulation technology to show you what that could look like ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/rg996zNHy2
- The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) October 8, 2024
