Milton was upgraded to a Category 5 hurricane on Monday, October 7, the US hurricane monitoring agency (NHC) reported, warning of deadly risks in Florida. Rated as“extremely dangerous” and of “potentially catastrophic”The hurricane is expected to hit the coasts of this southeastern US state overnight from Wednesday to Thursday, after having skirted the northern coast of Yucatan, in the Gulf of Mexico, on Monday and Tuesday.
With “destructive winds” of up to 285 kilometers per hour, according to the NHC, the hurricane is expected to cause “destructive waves” in this Mexican province where workers blocked doors and windows and fishermen returned their boats to port. Local authorities have ordered the closure of schools and non-essential activities. The new Mexican president, Claudia Sheinbaum, alerted the population about the possibility “torrential rains”in a message in X.
According to the NHC, the hurricane “rapidly escalated”going from category 3 to the highest on the Saffir-Simpson scale in just a few hours. “If the storm continues on its current track, it will be the worst to hit the Tampa area in more than a hundred years”warned the meteorological services of this large city in Florida (around 3 million inhabitants), in the Gulf of Mexico.
“Yes you can (…), Hit the road today »he urged Florida authorities on Monday, specifically addressing populations in the Tampa metropolitan area. For his part, the governor of Florida, Republican Ron DeSantis, clarified that Milton would continue to be a hurricane ” fierce “ over time it will cross Florida from west to east. On Sunday, he expanded the state of emergency declared the day before to 51 of the 67 counties in this state, the third most populous in the United States.
“You have time to go. So please do it”urged residents of risk areas. To facilitate these evacuations, Florida authorities have announced that they will make tolls free.
At least 230 people killed by Helene
This new hurricane is causing much concern in Florida and the rest of the American Southeast, much of which has been devastated since the devastating passage of Hurricane Helene. Authorities issued mandatory evacuation orders for parts of Pasco County and Anna Maria Island near Tampa starting Monday, while a handful of other localities asked residents of certain types of buildings, such as long-term care facilities, to , that they evacuate.
Emergency services continue to work to help the many victims of Hurricane Helene, the deadliest to hit the United States since Katrina in 2005. Helene, which reached Category 4, caused the deaths of at least 230 people in half a dozen states of the southeast of the country, including at least fifteen in Florida, and caused destructive flooding.
By warming sea and ocean waters, climate change makes rapid intensification of storms more likely and increases the risk of more powerful hurricanes, scientists say. The American Meteorological Observatory (NOAA) warned at the end of May that the hurricane season, which runs from early June to the end of November, was shaping up to be an extraordinary year, with the possibility of between four and seven category 3 or 3. higher hurricanes.
Flood of misinformation
US President Joe Biden called on Sunday “All Florida residents should listen to local officials and prepare accordingly”. He also announced in a press release the deployment of 500 additional soldiers to North Carolina, the state most affected by Hurricane Helene (at least 118 dead). In total, 1,500 soldiers are mobilized and form, in addition to the thousands of rescuers and members of the national guard, a reserve force.
This new threat comes as U.S. officials struggle to counter an avalanche of misinformation about aid provided to disaster victims. On Saturday, Donald Trump repeated false accusations that the Biden-Harris administration had redirected relief funds intended for areas devastated by Hurricane Helene to programs that benefit migrants.
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“Playing political games right now, in these crisis situations (we are at the peak) is simply irresponsible and selfish”criticized M.me Harris.
“The last thing Helene’s victims need right now is political posturing, an accusatory glare, or conspiracy theories that only harm relief efforts.”North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis, a Republican, said in a statement on Sunday.
The problem is such that the federal disaster response agency (FEMA) and North Carolina authorities published a message on the Internet dismantling false claims, such as that homes that requested federal aid after the disaster could be expropriated.
