After the devastating tropical storm “Helene”, the next hurricane “Milton” is rolling towards the southeast of the USA. Evacuations are already underway in Florida. There is a risk of storm surges of up to six meters.
The US state of Florida has to prepare for another severe storm – a week and a half after “Helene” caused destruction and more than 225 deaths in the southeast of the USA. On its way towards Florida, Tropical Storm “Milton” has now swelled to hurricane strength over the Gulf of Mexico, as the National Hurricane Center announced.
The hurricane center warned of life-threatening floods and damaging winds. Milton is currently classified as a hurricane in the first of five categories with sustained winds of up to 128 kilometers per hour. The storm continues to gain strength and will likely be upgraded again later today, the hurricane center said.
The exact route is still unclear
“Milton” is scheduled to reach the west coast of Florida in the middle of the week. The first evacuations have already been ordered for today, for example in districts near the city of Tampa. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for 51 of 67 counties in the state. The hurricane could have “big, big impacts” and bring storm surges of up to six meters, warned DeSantis.
The head of the US Federal Emergency Management Agency Fema, Deanne Criswell, told the ABC broadcaster that the federal authorities were “absolutely prepared” for the storm. She announced that regional authorities should receive additional funding. US President Joe Biden said his administration would provide “life-saving resources”.
Devastation caused by “Helene”
At the moment, the authorities are still busy cleaning up after tropical storm Helene, said Tampa Mayor Jane Castor to CNN. It is now difficult to imagine the rain of a new storm – “not to mention the storm surge and the damage.”
“Helene” made landfall in Florida on September 26th and raged in the region as a second-highest category four hurricane. According to the latest information, more than 225 people were killed by the storm in the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and Virginia. Numerous buildings were damaged or completely destroyed, and the power supply was disrupted in many places.
Election campaign and fake news
One month before the US presidential election, dealing with the aftermath of the storm is politically explosive. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump repeatedly spread false information about this. He falsely accused President Biden’s administration of diverting disaster aid intended for storm victims to immigrants.
The Emergency Management Agency’s Criswell called those comments “really dangerous.” They could lead to people not agreeing to provide or receive help. “It’s a shame that we put politics above helping people,” said the Fema boss.