Hurricane in the USA: “Milton” rages in Florida

As of: October 10, 2024 2:02 p.m

Hurricane “Milton” has passed through the US state of Florida and is over the sea again. Flooding and power outages are reported. Deaths were also reported.

After hitting Florida’s Gulf Coast, the center of Hurricane Milton moved to the east coast of the US state. The storm moved there with maximum sustained wind speeds of 137 kilometers per hour, said the US National Hurricane Center.

Milton is expected to move further from the Florida peninsula into the Atlantic and toward the northern Bahamas. According to the US Hurricane Center, it will continue to weaken.

“Milton” is classified in the lowest hurricane category

The storm is now classified as a level 1 out of 5 hurricane. All hurricane and tropical storm warnings for the west coast of Florida have been lifted. However, storm surge warnings remained in effect for parts of this area, as did the east coast of Florida. Hurricane and tropical storm warnings also remained in effect for much of Florida’s eastern and central coast.

The authorities also continued to warn of heavy rain and flooding. Before “Milton” left, between 200 and 350 liters of rain per square meter, and in some cases even up to 450 liters of rain, were expected in northern and central Florida. In parts of the state, 50 to 100 liters of precipitation per square meter is still expected.

Wind speeds of up to 193 km/h

The storm had previously made landfall on the west coast of Florida as a Category 3 hurricane and caused damage – but the full extent is still unclear. At the beginning, wind speeds of up to 193 kilometers per hour were measured.

As of early morning, the eye of the storm was still near the city of Orlando in central Florida. The fire brigade and police had to temporarily seek shelter in buildings due to strong winds, as the city administration announced. Residents were also told not to leave their homes.

Because of the storm, more than 70,000 people had to seek shelter in emergency shelters. The head of the US disaster protection agency Fema, Deanne Criswell, told the British broadcaster BBC Radio 4. Before the storm arrived, 31 districts had ordered evacuations.

Hurricane Milton seen from the International Space Station

First confirmed deaths

The hurricane triggered tornadoes even before it hit. Deaths were reported in St. Lucie County on the Atlantic coast, but authorities did not provide an exact number. A tornado killed several people in a trailer park for seniors.

According to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, at least 19 confirmed tornadoes were counted on Wednesday. By evening, weather services had issued more than 130 tornado warnings in the state. DeSantis said damage was also reported. According to initial reports, the region south of the city of Tampa on the west coast, which had already been classified as a high-risk area before the hurricane hit, was particularly affected.

Millions of households without electricity

Media also reported uprooted trees, fallen power poles and flooding in several Florida cities. More than three million households in the state were without power, according to data from the site poweroutage.us emerged.

In Saint Petersburg, the authorities turned off the drinking water after a water pipe burst. The mayor of the city of 260,000, Ken Welch, said long power outages and a possible shutdown of the sewage system were expected. Repairs should begin as soon as it is safe for workers.

The Tampa Bay Rays baseball team’s stadium in Saint Petersburg, Tropicana Field, was severely damaged. The fabric that makes up the roof of the domed building was torn apart by the wind. According to the weather service, several cranes in Saint Petersburg also toppled as a result of the storm.

The roof of the Tropicana Field baseball stadium in St. Petersburg, Florida, was partially torn off by Hurricane Milton.

Climate researchers: effects of the Ocean warming

Saint Petersburg Mayor Welch recalled that just two weeks ago Hurricane Helene hit Florida, killing well over 200 people. He told MSNBC: “This is just one example of the new normal: the storms are getting stronger, they are moving faster and are putting our infrastructure to the test.”

Given the arrival of “Milton”, many of those affected in Florida had no time to recover from the destruction caused by “Helene”. Tropical cyclones form over warm ocean waters. The Atlantic hurricane season lasts from June to the end of November.

Climate scientist Mojib Latif pointed out the increase in violent hurricanes over the past decade. “Overall, the destructive power of hurricanes has increased,” said the meteorologist in Deutschlandfunk. “This clearly has to do with the warming of the world’s oceans.” They have become very, very warm in recent years. “That took time, it happened faster in the rural regions, now we see the effects all over the world, including here in Europe.”

source site

Related Articles