As Milton approaches, Florida residents called to evacuate for “a matter of life and death”

American authorities are stepping up efforts to encourage the population to evacuate before the arrival of Hurricane Milton, described as “extremely dangerous” by the National Hurricane Center (NHC). Expected to hit the Florida coast overnight from Wednesday to Thursday, this Category 4 hurricane, after reaching Category 5, could turn out to be “the worst storm in Florida in a century,” warned President Joe Biden . In fact, we have to go back to 1921 to find traces of such a phenomenon.

During a meeting at the White House to take stock of the preparations, Joe Biden insisted on the seriousness of the situation. “You need to evacuate now, it’s a matter of life and death.” » Vice-President Kamala Harris added by calling on residents to follow the instructions of local authorities. “Floridians, you are tenacious people who have suffered a lot, but this is going to be different,” she declared on ABC. Calls for evacuations caused huge traffic jams as thousands of motorists rushed to the roads to flee before the hurricane arrived

“A deadly storm”

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis confirmed that “the entire Florida peninsula is under some form of either watch or alert.” The NHC said “devastating waves” and a “life-threatening storm” were expected as early as Tuesday along the northern coast of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, before Milton headed toward Florida. “If you choose to stay in one of the evacuation zones, you will die,” warned Jane Castor, the mayor of Tampa, one of Florida’s major cities, during an interview on CNN.

Meteorology expert Michael Lowry also highlighted the threat, saying Milton had intensified at a “tremendous rate,” one of the fastest ever seen in the Atlantic basin. He added that if worst-case scenarios play out for Tampa Bay, coastal flooding could be twice as severe as that caused by Hurricane Helen two weeks earlier.

Exceptional measures throughout Florida

Faced with the imminent threat, measures are being taken across the state. Generators, food, drinking water and tarpaulins are being distributed, while residents prepare to evacuate or reinforce their homes. In Tampa, long lines of cars wait to collect sandbags to protect homes from flooding.

Among the residents, some, like Luis Santiago, are worried about the extent of the damage. “Everything will be flooded,” estimates this 43-year-old man, whose house is in an evacuation zone. For his part, John Gomez, a resident of Chicago, decided to come to Tampa to watch over his second home during the hurricane. “If I’m in Chicago and something happens, there’s nothing I can do,” the septuagenarian who came to collect sand told AFP.

Three essential things

In Riverview, several motorists waiting in a long line to fill up on Tuesday say they have no intention of evacuating. “I think we’ll just hold on,” Martin Oakes told the Associated Press. “We installed the shutters. The house is ready. » At the same place, Ralph Douglas, resident of Ruskin, indicates that fleeing is out of the question. The latter fears running out of fuel while trying to return after the storm or being blocked by debris.

Jaime Hernandez, the director of emergency management for Hollywood on Florida’s Atlantic coast, told the Associated Press about the need to plan well. “Preparing for a hurricane involves stocking up on supplies in advance, including non-perishable food and water in case the power goes out and supplies run low. Preparation also involves making sure all medical items and medications are ready in case people are unable to leave their homes,” he explains. He also stresses the importance of “having cash, because the ATMs may not work. »

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