The powerful Hurricane Milton devastated Florida from east to west on the night of Wednesday, October 9 to Thursday, October 10. Local authorities announced on Thursday the death of at least four people in two tornadoes that caused commotion the day before in the east of the peninsula.
Other tornadoes were observed in the central, southern and western parts of the state before Milton made landfall, causing significant damage in places, such as Fort Myers, where roofs were blown off. Meteorological services had warned of the risk of tornadoes related to the hurricane. “This storm produced many tornadoes”Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis confirmed to CNBC on Thursday. Milton too “caused flooding in places like Daytona Beach and St. Augustine”on the east coast of the peninsula, he said, but also in the heart of Florida, such as in Orlando, where the Disney World theme parks remained closed as a precaution.
However, the worst-case scenario appears to have been avoided, especially on the West Coast. “Marine submergence was not as significant as during Hurricane Helene a few weeks ago”he said, noting that Milton had decreased in intensity and changed trajectory slightly before making landfall. The president of the United States, Joe Biden, however, called on the population to “stay inside” for the moment, in particular to avoid “downed power lines, debris and washed out roads”.
More than 3.3 million homes were without power Thursday morning throughout Florida, according to the specialized site poweroutage.us.
Milton made landfall Wednesday afternoon on the west coast of Florida as a Category 3 hurricane – on a scale of 5 – and maintained strong winds as it moved inland, before reaching the Atlantic on Thursday morning. Although it has already left the peninsula, the hurricane continues to produce strong winds and “Heavy Rain” over central and eastern Florida, warned the United States Hurricane Center (NHC). Milton was expected to be “one of the most destructive hurricanes in more than a century in Florida”Joe Biden warned Wednesday night.
An event that acquired a political dimension
Two weeks after Hurricane Helene passed through the same region, which left at least 237 dead throughout the southeastern United States, including at least fifteen in Florida, this new hurricane worried the authorities even more than the numerous debris caused by the first hurricane. They were still visible on the streets and could be blown away by the winds.
Florida 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.
For Professor John Marsham, a specialist in atmospheric sciences, “Many aspects of Helen and Milton are a perfect match” what scientists anticipate regarding climate change. “Hurricanes need warm oceans to form, and record-breaking ocean temperatures fuel these devastating storms. Warm air holds more water, causing heavier rain and more flooding.explains. At the same time, “Rising sea levels due to climate change make coastal flooding worse”.
These two hurricanes, which occurred a month before an extremely close presidential election, took on a political dimension, with Republicans and Democrats arguing over disaster relief. Former president and Republican candidate Donald Trump accuses the Democrats, at the head of the federal state, of having intervened too late after Hurricane Helen, accusations flatly denied by President Biden and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.
