Hurricane Milton, a category 3 out of 5, made landfall in Florida, in the southeastern United States, the American Hurricane Center (NHC) announced on Wednesday night, October 9. “Extremely dangerous”came along the west coast of Florida “near Siesta Key in Sarasota County”wrote the American agency in its 8:30 p.m. bulletin (2:30 a.m. in France).
During the day, Joe Biden accused Donald Trump of having unleashed a “avalanche of lies” on the US federal government’s handling of hurricanes Helene and Milton. After a meeting at the White House about Hurricane Milton, the US president deplored the “Irresponsible, dangerous and continuous dissemination of misinformation and outright lies” about the management of these hurricanes.
Former president and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump “lead this avalanche of lies”criticized Joe Biden, for whom disinformation “undermines trust” populations in relief efforts and “It harms those who need it most”.
Since the destructive and deadly passage of Helene in the southeastern United States, which killed at least 236 people, Donald Trump and Republicans have accused, without evidence, Democrats of having “he stole the money” of the federal natural disaster response agency (FEMA) to “give it to your illegal immigrants”.
“It’s ridiculous to say that. it’s wrongPresident Biden reacted. It is said that damaged houses are confiscated, but this is simply not true. It is said that the victims will only receive $750 [685 euros]nothing else. This is simply false. »
“A matter of life and death”
The Democratic leader criticized the claims. “even weirder” by Trumpist parliamentarian Marjorie Taylor Greene. She “now he says the federal government completely controls the climate… This is beyond ridiculous. “This has to stop.”Biden decided.
The vice president and Democratic candidate for the November 5 elections, Kamala Harris, attended the meeting from New York, where she is giving a series of interviews to the media. Warning those who would be tempted to take advantage of the hurricane to increase the prices of food, fuel or housing, he assured: “Anyone who misleads consumers will be held accountable. »
For his part, Joe Biden reiterated his calls for caution and evacuation before the arrival of Milton, who “It looks like the storm of the century”. “It’s a matter of life or death”he said, repeating comments made the day before.
In a sign that the situation is potentially critical, the president canceled a trip to Germany and Angola to be in the United States during the Milton Passage, which will cross the peninsula from one side to the other. It should happen especially near Orlando, where the Disney World theme parks were closed at noon Wednesday. The Tampa and Sarasota airports are paralyzed.
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According to Deanne Criswell, director of the federal natural disaster response agency, Milton “It is going to be a deadly and catastrophic storm”. Although it was ultimately downgraded to category 3 out of 5, it is still considered “important” by the US Hurricane Center.
Florida, the third most populous state in the country and which attracts many tourists, is used to hurricanes. But climate change, by warming the seas, makes its rapid intensification more likely and increases the risk of more powerful phenomena, according to scientists.
At 5 p.m. on Wednesday (in Florida, at 11 p.m. in Paris), the hurricane was accompanied by winds of almost 200 km/h. It could cause coastal flooding of up to 4.5 meters and heavy rain that would cause “Risk of catastrophic and potentially fatal urban flash floods”according to the NHC. “During these storms, most deaths are related to coastal flooding, water”the FEMA director stressed.
In addition to rising water levels, authorities fear the additional danger posed by the numerous remains Helene left behind. Tornadoes were also observed in the center and south of the state, according to the Weather Channel. For several days, authorities have been urging residents in areas affected by evacuation orders to leave.
