He Hurricane Milton, weakened but still very dangerous, passes through Florida this Thursday, leaving more than three million homes without electricity and causing flooding, two weeks after the devastating passage of Hurricane Helene.
According to the criteria of
Milton made landfall on Siesta Key, on Florida’s west coast, south of the city of Tampa, at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday. with winds of up to 205 kilometers per hour (120 miles), that is, category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson scale (out of 5).
Authorities said at least two people were killed by a cyclone-related tornado. in a retirement community in St. Lucie County, on Florida’s west coast.
Downgraded to category 3 (out of 5), the hurricane’s power decreased on Thursday morning, moving to category 1, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
Accompanied by “extreme winds” and heavy rain, the megastorm caused “sudden” flooding upon arrival, the NHC report stated. It also caused tornadoes before reaching the center and south of the state, according to the Weather Channel.
Record rainfall, damage and other effects of Hurricane Milton
Throughout the area in the Milton trajectory cone in Florida, rains were recorded that have already exceeded in in some cases the daily rainfall records of that place and are equivalent to the average of several months or even a year, as is the case of the coastal city of St. Petersburg, one of the most affected by Milton, according to CNN.
The roof of the stadium of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team, located in St. Petersburg, was completely destroyed by the hurricane’s winds. The stadium was prepared to accommodate emergency personnel once Milton passed through the Tampa Bay area.
According to sources from the St. Petersburg firefighters cited by Miami’s NBC6 channel, at the time the roof flew there were people inside the stadium, but they were unharmed because they had taken refuge in the internal corridors.
For now, the magnitude of the damage caused by the hurricane is unknown, something that will begin to be seen as the day progresses in Florida. But the images of the hurricane’s arrival show rising seas, flooding, destroyed houses, fallen trees and poles, and drifting boats.
According to the PowerOutage.us website, The number of customers of Florida electric companies without service rose to more than 2.8 million this Thursday.
During the hurricane, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister posted a video online in which he implored the residents of that area of western Florida, as police chief and as a father, to stay under shelter and not they went outside.
The Florida Division of Emergency Management sent the same message: “Stay safe and remain vigilant well into Thursday. Flooding is expected everywhere, isolated tornadoes and destructive winds!!”.
The division especially warned residents of Tampa Bay, on the west coast, where the sea retreated due to the spring tide caused by the hurricane, not to step into areas normally covered by the sea. “The water will return with the surge and there is a risk of dying“he indicated.
In Tampa the sea rose more than 3 meters (ten feet) above its normal level.
More than 1,400 members of a search team and urban rescue and more than 100 speed boats were deployed throughout the state before the arrival of Hurricane Milton to begin search and rescue operations as soon as there is sunlight.
State Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis told the News Service of Florida that teams from more than a dozen states, including California and Washington, as well as the U.S. Coast Guard, were “waiting” to begin operations. search and rescue as soon as possible.
Days before Milton’s arrival, Florida authorities issued evacuation orders for millions of people in a wide area of the state and warned that staying in those places was risking one’s life.
It’s as if post-traumatic stress syndrome has set in.
In the sector where Milton made landfall, the inhabitants confined themselves in advancein their homes or in authorized centers.
Before the storm arrived in Tampa, Randy Prior, 36, declared himself “nervous.” “We are still recovering” from Hurricane Helene, which left “the ground saturated” with water, he said.
In another big city, Fort Myers, Debbie Edwards, who decided not to leavenoted for his part that everyone was “anxious.”
“It’s as if post-traumatic stress syndrome has set in” after another devastating hurricane, Ian, two years ago, he added.
Milton unleashed his fury just two weeks after another major hurricane, Helene, devastated Florida and other southeastern states, with a toll of at least 236 dead and emergency teams still providing help.
In Mexico, Helene caused minor damage to the coast but left dozens of fishermen adrift.
This is the path of Hurricane Milton
Hurricane Milton has shortened its distance from Cape Canaveral and is now 15 kilometers from the main center of space activities, where it approaches with sustained winds of 140 kilometers per hour although with higher gusts, while leaving the east coast of the battered state of Florida (USA).
On its path, Milton is moving northeast at a rate of 30 km/h, with a general movement that is expected to continue this Thursday, according to the latest data updated by the US National Hurricane Center (NHC). .
All hurricane and tropical storm warnings for the west coast of Florida have been lifted although they remain in other areas.
The center of the hurricane is advancing with a general movement that appears to be maintained today, although with a turn to the east at night, according to forecasts.
Maximum sustained winds are near 140 km/h but a gradual weakening is expected and it looks like Milton could become a powerful extratropical low tonight.
The population is warned that the strong winds of the devastating hurricane will continue for more hours in the eastern part of central Florida and the population is urged to stay indoors and away from windows.
The danger remains with a threat to people’s lives due to storms along the coast from the east from central Florida to the north where storm warnings remain.
The danger of flooding in the city of tampa will continue this morning, even though the city avoided the worst fears of storm surge, the mayor said in a briefing Thursday morning.
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