FLORIDA, US Oct 10 – Hurricane Milton has left a trail of destruction across Florida, unleashing tornadoes, torrential rain, and powerful winds that have damaged homes and disrupted power for millions in the state.
The National Hurricane Center reported Thursday that Milton, which made landfall on the western coast of Florida hours earlier, had weakened to a Category 1 hurricane but was still packing winds of 150 km/h (93 mph). The storm made landfall around 8:30 PM (00:30 GMT) on Wednesday as a Category 3 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 195 km/h (121 mph) near Siesta Key.
Despite losing strength, the storm is expected to maintain hurricane status as it crosses the Florida peninsula and heads toward the Atlantic on Thursday. At least 19 tornadoes touched down in southern Florida, far from the storm’s center, as it approached land. As of 2:36 AM (06:36 GMT), approximately 2.85 million residents in Florida were without power, according to Poweroutage.us, with the western coast being the hardest hit.
Casualty figures remain unclear; St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson reported multiple fatalities in a senior community called Spanish Lakes Country Club near Fort Pierce but could not confirm specific numbers as emergency responders continue to search damaged homes.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned during a Wednesday evening briefing that the hurricane had reached the state’s coastline, making evacuation no longer safe.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration attributed the active hurricane season to the La Niña weather pattern and warmer-than-average ocean temperatures, with the total number of hurricanes this season already surpassing last year’s figures.
While Milton is expected to cause the most damage in western Florida, neighboring Georgia, still recovering from last month’s Hurricane Helene, is also preparing for potential impacts. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp urged residents in coastal counties to brace for falling trees, scattered power outages, and possible flooding.
U.S. President Joe Biden pledged federal support for the affected regions, addressing misinformation regarding the government’s response to Milton and Helene. Speaking at the White House, he condemned the spread of falsehoods as “un-American.”
“Over the last few weeks, there has been reckless and irresponsible promotion of disinformation and outright lies about what’s going on,” Biden said. “It’s undermining confidence in the people of Florida and harmful to those who most need help.”
Biden specifically refuted claims that property was being confiscated, a narrative that Republican candidate Donald Trump has echoed on the campaign trail as he seeks a second presidential term.
Source: capitalfm
