Hurricane Milton Intensifies into Category 5 Storm, Threatens Florida
Florida is bracing for the Category 5 Hurricane Milton, ordering mass evacuations as it is still recovering from the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, reported Reuters.
The US National Hurricane Center expects that Milton will make landfall on the west coast of Florida on Wednesday, near the Tampa Bay area. Tampa Bay is home to more than 3.3 million people and is still reeling from the devastation of Hurricane Helene, which hit less than two weeks ago.
Milton was categorized as a tropical storm on Sunday afternoon. However, it rapidly intensified over the east Gulf of Mexico, developing into Category 5 storm in less than 24 hours, with maximum sustained winds of 270 kph. According to the US National Hurricane Center, it is the third-fastest intensifying storm on record in the Atlantic Ocean.
Hurricane Milton is likely to weaken slightly to a Category 4 storm by the time it approaches Florida, but it could still cause catastrophic damage, including days of power outages.
The deputy director of the National Hurricane Center, Jamie Rhome, projected that Milton would intensify before making landfall on Wednesday, putting large swathes of coastline within the storm surge danger zone. Rhome also said that Milton would likely remain a hurricane for its entire journey across the Florida peninsula.
In response, the US President, Joe Biden, approved an emergency declaration for Florida. Furthermore, Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis, issued evacuation orders and stressed the imperative of clearing the debris of Hurricane Helene, which killed 230 people on its way from Florida to the Carolinas, reported the Associated Press (AP).
The storm could also bring widespread flooding, with 5 to 10 inches of rain forecast for mainland Florida and the Keys, and could reach 15 inches in some places.
