Paralyzed and in suspense, the State of Florida holds its breath in the terrifyingly long night of Milton, its powerful winds, torrential rains and the imminent risk of flash floods. In just a few hours the first reports of deaths from a tornado were reported. But after a couple of days of chaotic evacuations that paralyzed the peninsula’s highways and in which up to seven million people were thrown into the void of safety without the certainty that they will have a home to return to, we still have to wait for May the sun reveal the dimensions of the destruction.
The cyclone finally made landfall on Siesta Key, about 70 miles (112 km) south of the city of Tampa, at 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Despite having lowered its category to 3 on Wednesday afternoon, Milton hit the coast with maximum sustained winds of about 120 miles per hour (193 km/h), life-threatening storm surges of up to 13 feet (4 meters) in the Sarasota area, and maximum rainfall forecasts of 18 inches (46 centimeters). ) in some places. Data that predicts with certainty devastating floods, even many miles inland. There have also been, and still remain, warnings of possible tornadoes. Milton brings the complete combo.
In Tampa, in the first hours of the impact, the winds carried vehicles, debris and branches through the streets, illuminated by sudden rays of blue light—transformers exploding everywhere—and the water slowly rising. One of the first images that measure the strength of Milton It took place in St. Peterburg, the Siamese city of Tampa, across the bay. The Tropicana baseball stadium lost its entire roof due to the winds and was left at the mercy of the elements. The facility was prepared to serve as a base for hundreds of lifeguards. By midnight it was unclear whether they were safe.
The planned path foresees that the storm will cross the State from west to east still as a hurricane, passing almost directly over Orlando and its surrounding areas before exiting the Atlantic, potentially still as a Category 1, on Thursday morning. The flood alert goes from coast to coast. And although the risk of storm surge for Tampa Bay did not materialize when it hit fully further south, in Fort Myers, which received the hurricane Ian In 2022, flooding was reported even hours before the cyclone made landfall.
The mobilization in the face of the emergency has been, in the words of Governor Ron DeSantis, “probably the largest in the history of Florida, perhaps in the country.” It includes about 9,000 members of the National Guard, local and from other States; more than 50,000 public service workers who have arrived from as far away as California to restore basic services as soon as possible; helicopters and rescue vehicles ready to leave as soon as conditions allow; and millions of liters of fuel and diesel in reserve to supply gas stations. But preparation, DeSantis has admitted, does not translate into absolute control of the situation. “Unfortunately, there will be deaths. “I don’t think there is a way to avoid that,” he said hours before the impact of Milton at a press conference in Tallahassee.
It was feared that Milton It was the first cyclone in more than a century to directly hit Tampa Bay, after being saved at the last moment on numerous occasions. In the end, after a lot of speculation, it happened again this time. Because of this history, there was also fear that residents, who in this densely populated region number more than the population of the 20 least populated states, would not comply with evacuation orders, which affected more than seven million people.
But just two weeks ago the west coast of Florida suffered especially from huge storm surges when Helene passed nearby, before embarking on its destructive path north that, after causing at least 230 deaths, made it the second deadliest hurricane in the country’s history, only behind Katrina in 2005. And precisely the memory of Helenestill present in houses and buildings with water marks – scars from recent floods – or in the piles of debris lining the sidewalks – which are feared will disperse and cause even more damage – has been a compelling reason to evacuate.
Cathie Perkins, the emergency director of Pinellas County, on the peninsula that forms Tampa Bay, alluded to precisely this in her last warning to her neighbors. “The time has come, friends. For those of you who were hit during the hurricane Helenethis will be the knockout. They have to leave, and they have to leave now,” he urged. And he added that those who decided to stay would have to figure it out for themselves, as emergency services would not risk their own lives to make rescues during the peak of the storm.
That peak was passing from the moment when Milton It made landfall, with the winds gradually decreasing in intensity as it moved away from the water and also due to the dry air entering from the west that dispersed the eye of the hurricane, where the strongest gusts are concentrated. The deadly risks, and the greatest damage, will come with the floods that are feared to be catastrophic and will generate millions of dollars in losses, perhaps the largest ever recorded. But Milton has already made history. It is the third fastest intensifying hurricane, thanks to the warm water of the Gulf of Mexico, only behind Felix in 2007 and Wilma in 2005. Milton It went from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane in just 25 hours. It has also been reported that it is the fifth most powerful cyclone on record in the Atlantic.
St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch already had his eye on the next day before Milton hit, with power outages expected to last up to weeks and the sewage system suspended. “We have a long road ahead of us, but we will recover and rebuild,” he said.
Florida is known as the Sunshine State, but on Wednesday night that’s easy to forget.
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