“If they stay, they are going to die.” That was the clear and blunt warning from the authorities before the arrival of Hurricane Milton. No one wanted to imagine the worst, but for many, staying was not an option. The García family, for example, with two small children, did not think twice. Liliana, a mother from Manizale, remembers the moment they realized the seriousness of the situation. “We packed up as quickly as we could and went to the evacuation center,” he says. “We knew we couldn’t risk staying. “It was terrifying.” Fortunately when they returned on Thursday, their house was still standing.
According to the criteria of
Miltona storm that many Floridians will never forget, leaves a dozen dead and a trail of destruction estimated between 30,000 and 50,000 million dollars in insured losses, according to Fitch Ratings. This phenomenon makes it one of the costliest hurricanes to hit Florida in recent years, comparable to the devastating Hurricane Ian in 2022. But, although the economic figures are alarming, for many residents, the emotional and personal losses are even deeper. .
We knew we couldn’t risk staying. It was terrifying
This hurricane, which made landfall in Siesta Key Wednesday night, like a thunderstorm category 3brought with it massive destruction, but what made it particularly dangerous were the tornadoes that formed in its path. In St. Lucie County, more than 100 homes were leveled. “We’re not just talking about loose shingles or broken windows,” said Keith Pearson, the county sheriff. “We are talking about completely destroyed houses.”
“It was like a train accident.” That’s what the residents of St.Petersburg when a crane collapsed from the top of a building, falling onto the street and destroying everything in its path. Debris spread across the area, blocking roads and destroying parked cars. Meanwhile, in Fort Myersanother tornado tore off roofs and fences in the vicinity of the Page Field Airport.
As storms and tornadoes moved through Florida, more than 3.2 million people were left without power. “We were in the dark, not knowing when the light would come back,” said Carlos Méndez, a resident of tampa. Although 700,000 homes have already recovered electricity supply, the governor Ron DeSantis warns that the process will be long and complicated.
Fuel shortage in Florida due to storm
But it wasn’t just electricity that was a problem. Fuel shortages aggravated the situation. In some areas, more than a quarter of gas stations were left without gas, with long lines of residents waiting for hours. Authorities, aware of the desperation of many, deployed patrols to escort tankers to the most affected areas, seeking to ensure that supplies reached those who needed it most.
The waters had flooded the first floors of the buildings. It was like being in a river
Water also became a luxury. In St.Petersburga boil water advisory was issued after water mains burst under the pressure of the storm. “It is incredible to think that in the 21st century we could not even drink tap water without fear of getting sick,” he told cnn Marta Rodríguez, who lives in one of the affected areas. Families had to resort to boiling water or using bottled water while authorities worked to repair pipes.
In Hillsborough County, Rescuers used amphibious vehicles to evacuate more than 135 elderly and disabled people trapped in a nursing home and a hotel. “It was chaos,” said Chad Chronister, the county sheriff. “The waters had flooded the first floors of the buildings. “It was like being in a river.”
In Pinellas County, rain reached 17 inches, flooding roads and causing more damage. He Tropicana Field (baseball stadium) in Tampa, which was to be used as a shelter for first responders, suffered its roof collapse, leaving one of the city’s most important facilities unusable.
South Florida was also affected by Hurricane Milton
Although South Florida was not hit as hard as other areas, the area’s service economy has suffered heavy losses due to the mass cancellation of hotel and restaurant reservations. “It’s a very hard blow for us,” Juan Velasco, owner of a small restaurant in Miami Beach, told the radio. “We don’t know how we are going to recover from this.”
Some experts estimate that the recovery process could be hampered by a lack of labor and materials, which could increase costs by 20 percent or more.
Fema (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) has been working around the clock to help those affected. According to the administrator Deanne Criswellresidents who were affected by both Helene and Milton should apply for assistance separately for each storm. “It is a complicated process,” admitted Criswell, who added that “we are here to help everyone who needs it.”
Milton’s financial impact could also put Florida’s already fragile insurance market in check. Local insurers, many of which were already struggling after previous disasters, must now deal with massive losses, which will likely lead to skyrocketing policies for all of the state’s homeowners. Some experts estimate that the recovery process could be hampered by a lack of labor and materials, which could increase costs by 20 percent or more.
The political ‘storm’ that broke out in the United States.
The response to Hurricane Milton has unleashed a political storm less than a month before the presidential elections. Vice President and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris accused the authorities of the Floridaled by Republican Governor De Santis, of “playing politics” during the crisis, noting that his attempts to discuss recovery efforts went unheeded, while the governor has declared that “this is not a political game “We are here to save lives and rebuild.”
The truth is that for many Florida is a paradise and the price of living there is high, not only because of the cost of living, but also because of the continuous hurricanes and tropical storms, which hit its coasts with increasing frequency and cross the state, constantly testing the resilience of its inhabitants.
ANA MARÍA JARAMILLO
FOR TIME
MIAMI
#train #accident #Florida #residents #experienced #devastating #Hurricane #Milton