Hurricane Milton, once a Category 5 storm, has weakened slightly to a Category 4 but remains life-threatening to Tampa Bay and its residents. This could be the first major hurricane to directly hit the region in almost 100 years, with officials warning residents to evacuate or face the catastrophic consequences of towering storm surges and hurricane-force winds. Tampa Bay, which has not seen a major hurricane since 1921, may finally be facing the storm many had hoped would never come.
Officials have issued hurricane and tropical storm warnings for much of Florida’s west coast as Milton gradually makes its way across the Gulf of Mexico and the warm lakes. The National Hurricane Center warned on Tuesday that Milton’s winds, which reached speeds of 150 mph ( 240 kph ), are capable of turning debris into deadly projectiles, particularly as remnants of Hurricane Helene still litter the streets.
Residents who live in the tide’s course are being advised to leave. DeSantis made a promise in a press conference that “you do n’t have to get on the interstate and travel far away.” ” You may leave thousands of miles. You do n’t need to evacuate hundreds of miles away. You do had choices”, as reported by the Associated Press.
When Milton makes land, authorities have been frantically clearing up the debris from Hurricane Helene to stop it from turning into deadly weapons. The condition has deployed more than 300 dump vehicles, which have already cleared 1, 200 tons of dust.
Officers have been frantically clearing streets of dirt in more troubled areas like Indian Rocks Beach and Clearwater Beach. Some people feared that something left over may turn into dangerous missiles in Milton’s great winds after the evacuation of wet furniture and appliances. ” Anything left behind will be like a lance coming at you”, said Nick Szabo, who was hired to help clear streets, adding,” It feels great to support”.
Federal leaders, including President Joe Biden, have declared a state of emergency. Deanne Criswell, the Federal Emergency Management Agency ( FEMA ) administrator, pleaded with “people to listen to their local officials to get out of harm’s way.” An foreign trip to Germany and Angola has been delayed by Biden to keep track of the wind while mobilizing resources.
Experts predict that as Milton heads toward Florida, storm surges may cause up to 18 inches of rain to fall across the state, seriously threatening residents and property.
Milton’s heart is expected to come offshore near Tampa Bay on Wednesday night, a place home to over 3.3 million people. Officials are especially concerned about the storm surges, which in some places may reach as high as 15 foot, putting areas along the beach in absolute danger.
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