On October 8th, the National Hurricane Center announced that Hurricane Milton is on track to hit the Tampa Bay area of Florida on the 9th. Originally considered a tropical storm, Milton rapidly intensified to a Category 5 hurricane on October 7th, was briefly downgraded to Category 4 on the 8th, and then reclassified back to Category 5 later that day—marking the highest level of hurricane strength. Officials from the National Hurricane Center have warned that Milton has the potential to be the “most destructive” hurricane ever recorded in Central and Western Florida.
In anticipation of the storm, several coastal counties in Florida have issued mandatory evacuation orders that will impact over a million residents. President Biden announced on the 8th that he would be canceling his scheduled trips to Germany and Angola to oversee the federal response to Hurricane Milton. During a press conference, he stressed the urgency of the situation, urging residents in the affected areas to “evacuate as quickly as possible.” He also reassured Floridians that federal assistance would be available for both immediate storm response and long-term rebuilding efforts after the storm passes.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has acknowledged the serious threat that Milton poses to the state, encouraging residents to prepare for yet another major disaster. He advised people to stockpile at least a week’s supply of food and drinking water.
Flight tracking service FlightAware reported a significant disruption in air travel on October 8th, with 900 flight delays and around 700 cancellations. Looking ahead to the 9th, more than 1,500 flights have already been canceled.
It’s important to remember that Hurricane Helene, which struck Florida as a Category 4 on September 26th, has since moved on to Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee, contributing to over 230 fatalities.
