By The Diary
07 Oct 2024, 15:25 PM EDT
Florida is preparing for a massive evacuation, the largest since 2017, in the face of the imminent arrival of Hurricane Milton, which is already a category 5, and which is expected to make landfall starting next Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). in English) from the United States.
The state, which was barely recovering from the devastating Hurricane Helene with debris in several cities, is under a state of emergency in 51 of its 67 counties. Although it is currently Category 5, it is expected to make landfall in Category 3.
This Monday, President Joe Biden approved the “emergency declaration” in Florida, which authorizes federal agencies to coordinate all disaster relief efforts.
Ron DeSantis, Republican governor, today warned citizens of the risk posed by the arrival of Milton and a large amount of debris left by Helene, which is why he called on communities to respond to evacuation calls.
Kevin Guthrie, executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, detailed that the State Emergency Response Team is preparing “for the largest evacuation we have seen probably since Hurricane Irma in 2017.”
The evacuations of millions of people are expected to cause highway congestion and queues at gas stations.
Major deployment
Governor DeSantis reported that the government is deploying trucks full of food and water, ambulances and flood protection systems to protect critical infrastructure in Central Florida.
“We are also accumulating an additional 1.5 million gallons (almost 5.7 million liters) of fuel reserves and preparing them to be used as needed,” the governor detailed.
Likewise, some residents have been preparing for the arrival of Hurricane Milton for hours, with sandbags to try to avoid the damage caused by flooding, the movement of electrical service vehicles to be attentive to restore blackouts, and even preparing shelters for animals.
The greatest threat is to the Tampa Bay area on the west coast, with strong winds and storm surge, but other areas on Florida’s east coast, such as the most populated Miami-Dade and Broward counties, face and to flood dangers associated with prolonged rains caused by the same system.
Tampa under alert
Hurricane Milton is expected to severely impact Florida’s Gulf Coast from Chokoloskee (Collier County) north to the mouth of the Suwanee River (Dixie County), including Tampa Bay and the Dry Tortugas, according to the National Weather Service.
In that wide area there is “an increasing risk” of storm surge, which can reach about 2.4 to 3.6 meters in Tampa Bay. Destructive winds are also expected starting Tuesday night or early Wednesday, according to the NHC.
Authorities urge residents to pay attention to evacuation orders from local authorities.
With information from EFE.
Keep reading:
– Hurricane Milton reaches Category 5 as it approaches Florida
– Deaths from Helene rise to 189 and it becomes the deadliest hurricane since Katrina
– Hurricane Milton reaches category 4 and moves towards Florida