Storm-ravaged President Joe Biden pleaded with people in Florida to evacuate what he said might be the deadliest natural disaster to strike the US state in a century as the state prepared for a direct hit from Hurricane Milton on Tuesday.
People scrambled to board up homes and evacuate as a sense of impending disaster developed as the second powerful hurricane in as many weeks roared near Florida’s west coast.
From the White House, Biden declared, “It’s a matter of life and death, and that’s not hyperbole,” advising those who were given the order to depart to “evacuate now, now, now.”
Biden’s warning coincided with a heated pre-election dispute in which his Democratic running mate, Kamala Harris, attacked Donald Trump for spreading untrue allegations that Republicans were not given priority in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
According to the National Hurricane Center, Milton was threatening up to 15 feet of storm surge as of Tuesday and was producing maximum sustained winds of 155 mph (250 kph).
It is expected to make landfall Wednesday night close to Tampa city as a Category 3 hurricane after decreasing from a maximum Category 5 over the night. It will then continue to be strong as it churns across Florida.
At a press conference, Governor Ron DeSantis listed all the towns and counties that are in risk.
He declared, “Virtually the whole Florida peninsula is under some kind of watch or warning.”
Airlines added more flights from Tampa, Orlando, Fort Myers, and Sarasota as escape traffic jammed the roadways and petrol stations ran out of fuel.
Water-filled walls
Michael Lowry, a hurricane researcher, issued a warning that Milton’s storm surge “could double the storm surge levels observed two weeks ago during Helene,” which produced catastrophic flooding, in the Tampa area, which is home to almost three million people.
In light of the fact that storm relief operations have turned into a political football ahead of the presidential election on November 5, Biden canceled a significant trip to Germany and Angola to oversee the federal response.
Trump has used misinformation to feed his base’s resentment over the Hurricane Helene emergency response, erroneously asserting that funds meant for relief efforts were instead used to aid immigrants.
Presidential candidate Kamala Harris described the remarks made by Trump as the “height of irresponsibility and frankly callousness” on Tuesday, while Biden denounced them as “un-American.”
She expressed her concern that he “really lacks empathy on a very basic level.”
Numerous cars gathered at a sports complex in Tampa to retrieve sandbags to safeguard their residences against floods, a sight of chaotic readiness that was replicated around the state of Florida.
John Gomez, 75, made the long journey from Chicago to attempt to preserve a second home he owns in Florida, defying government advise.
While standing in line, Gomez remarked, “I think it’s better to be here in case something happens.”
According to scientists, warmer ocean surfaces produce more water vapor, which gives storms more energy and intensifies their winds. This is one way that global warming contributes to more powerful storms.
On Tuesday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration made video footage of “Miss Piggy,” a specialized aircraft, flying into the hurricane to gather data, available to the public.
The wind and rain caused the jet to tremble, sending paperwork, gear, and personal belongings flying.
Localities affected by Hurricane Helene, which made landfall in Florida towards the end of last month, have scrambled to clear up debris that could turn into hazardous projectiles as Milton gets closer.
Strong winds and heavy rain caused flooding and toppled trees and pylons in Yucatan, Mexico, although the storm passed offshore without causing significant damage or casualties on the peninsula.
Emergency personnel are still having difficulty delivering help in the Southeast of the country following Hurricane Helene, which claimed at least 230 lives in many states.
On September 26, it made landfall in Florida as a powerful Category 4 hurricane, devastating isolated inland communities in states farther north, including as North Carolina and Tennessee.
With the death toll still growing, Hurricane Helene was the deadliest natural catastrophe to strike the US mainland since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
AFP
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