Less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene ravaged the southeastern US, Florida is bracing itself for Tropical Storm Milton, which is coming in from the Gulf of Mexico.
It is likely to be a Category 3 storm, and is running ahead of typical hurricane schedule.
Storm Helene was a Category 4 storm, as one of the past century’s worst storms, and let some 200 deaths in its wake. People are still struggling to make sense of the chaos.
It will gain strength over the next days, particularly on Florida’s west coast.
Milton is forecast to strengthen and bring life-threatening impacts to portions of the west coast of Florida next week. With very low vertical wind shear and incredibly warm sea-surface temperatures, Milton will be able to gain steady to rapid strength over the next few days.
“The official intensity forecasts call for Milton to become a hurricane in about 36 hours, and a major hurricane by 72 hours,” says the National Hurricane Center.
Major hurricane is a term designated for hurricanes of Category 3 strength or greater on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. For a hurricane to become a Category 3 storm, winds at its center must be sustained at 111 mph.
Unfortunately, a dangerous storm surge is expected for some areas affected by Hurricane Helene.
Florida’s governor DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for 35 counties.
The hurricane center is warning people in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, the Florida Peninsula, the Florida Keys, and the Bahamas to monitor the situation and be prepared.
The Florida Division of Emergency Management is preparing for the largest evacuation since 2017. Citizens have been “highly encouraged” to evacuate.
State authorities are also anticipating Milton could cause widespread power outages, DeSantis said.
DeSantis has also ordered all disaster management sites to remain open 24/7. State personnel and assets have been working around the clock. More than 800 guardsmen are currently deployed for debris removal, but DeSantis said there would soon be up to 4,000 available. Assets deployed to assist with Hurricane Helene recovery in Tennessee and North Carolina have actually been ordered back to Florida.
Meanwhile, several countries in Europe, including Romania, are still reeling from the destruction of unusual devastation in the area caused by Storm Boris.
