Hurricane Milton gained strength on Monday and became a potentially catastrophic Category 5 storm, the maximum on the scale, moving towards the west coast of Florida, the US Hurricane Center (NHC) reported.
The second major hurricane recorded in the Gulf of Mexico in two weeks, Milton intensified rapidly and now has “maximum sustained winds” of 257 km/h, with stronger gusts, the NHC reported.
Before reaching Florida, between now and Wednesday, it is expected to hit parts of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, causing strong winds and a rise in water levels of up to 1.5 meters with “large and destructive waves,” according to the agency. .
Just 10 days ago, Hurricane Helene caused at least 230 deaths in the southern United States.
Florida authorities ordered new evacuations this Monday in the same region that is still recovering from that disaster.
“Whoever has the means to do so (…) should hit the road today,” Florida authorities urged in a press conference specifically aimed at the populations of the Tampa metropolitan area (about 3 million inhabitants), in the Gulf. from Mexico.
– «Devastating damage» –
The Republican governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, stated that Milton would remain a hurricane throughout its passage through the state of Florida, which it will cross from west to east.
The day before, DeSantis expanded to 51 (out of a total of 67) the number of counties in an emergency situation in Florida, the third most populous state in the country.
Milton could bring rains of up to 25 cm (with spots of up to 38 cm) to Florida that would wreak havoc with flash flooding in urban areas, according to the NHC.
The agency warned that the most powerful hurricanes, Category 3 and above, generate “devastating damage” even to solidly built houses, and that “there will be a lack of electricity and water for several days after the storm passes.”
President Joe Biden said in a statement that his government was preparing “life-saving resources” and called on residents to follow the instructions of local authorities to prevent themselves.
Scientists say climate change likely plays a role in the rapid intensification of hurricanes, because warmer ocean surfaces release more water vapor, giving storms more energy and consequently intensifying their winds.
– «Clear debris» –
Helene struck the Florida coast as a Category 4 hurricane on September 26 and left a path of destruction inland to the Appalachian Mountains, bringing torrential rains and flooding.
With at least 230 deaths, it became the deadliest natural disaster to hit the country since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
“We need to clean up as much debris as possible” caused by Helene because this creates a “safety risk and will increase the damage Milton could cause,” DeSantis said.
First responders continue to work to find survivors and bring power and clean water to mountain communities isolated by the storm.
The magnitude of the disaster has not prevented it from being the center of a disinformation campaign. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump accused his Democratic rival for the White House, Vice President Kamala Harris, of allocating part of the budget intended to help those affected by Helene to migrants.
© Agence France-Presse