Tropical Storm Milton has been upgraded to a Category 1 hurricane ahead of hitting Florida, as the cruel natural disaster threatens to derail Kamala Harris’ campaign ahead of the election.
People in Florida were notified Sunday that Milton, which was a tropical storm off the coast of Mexico, is now a Category 1 hurricane. It is expected to hit the storm-ravaged Gulf Coast and make a dying landfall. in the middle of the week.
The impact is expected to affect much of the Sunshine State, as Gov. Ron DeSantis on Sunday expanded the state of emergency to 51 of 67 counties.
With the fierce presidential election taking place in just 30 days, the devastation already caused by this season’s hurricanes and the urgent preparation for Hurricane Milton are expected to become a sticking point at the polls.
FEMA and the Biden administration have already faced intense criticism for their lackluster response to Hurricane Helene, which claimed the lives of nearly 230 people.
Tropical Storm Milton has been upgraded to a Category 1 hurricane before reaching Florida
As another hurricane moves in, experts say the latest major storm’s destruction in crucial states could ‘dramatically change who’s in the electorate’
Residents of the hurricane-ravaged Carolinas and Florida could be physically prevented from voting if their infrastructure is not rebuilt in time for Nov. 5, experts have warned.
Meanwhile, hard-hit residents who went to the polls may have radicalized their politics after witnessing the help — or lack thereof — from local and federal agencies.
Worried experts predicting Hurricane Milton’s path fear it could be comparable to Hurricane Katrina, the tropical cyclone that killed 1,392 people in 2005.
“A major hurricane is the most likely outcome,” DeSantis said. “This is not a good path for the state of Florida.”
It comes as Chris Cooper, a political scientist at Western Carolina University, said Hurricane Helene’s destruction in crucial states could “drastically change who is in the electorate.”
“In a state like North Carolina, where margins matter, then every little adjustment could be the one that makes the difference,” he said, noting that North Carolina is “right on the knife edge between red and blue.” .
Before Milton arrives, residents of Florida’s west coast are preparing for a potentially historic mass evacuation.
Kevin Guthrie, head of Florida Emergency Management Development, urged residents to prepare to evacuate ahead of potentially “life-threatening” storm surge.
“We are preparing for the largest evacuation we have seen since, most likely, Hurricane Irma in 2017,” he said.
The Tampa Bay region is still recovering from the devastating flooding caused by Hurricane Helene.
Meanwhile, residents of other areas devastated by Helene have criticized the federal government’s disaster response agency, FEMA, for being extremely slow in deploying first responders.
In a small North Carolina town that was almost completely devastated by the hurricane, residents revealed that FEMA agents even told them that a “road closed” sign had prevented them from coming to help.
‘FEMA called me and told me they wanted to inspect my house and then called me again to tell me they couldn’t get past the ‘road closed’ sign. They weren’t allowed,” Bat Cave local Chelsea Atkins, 38, told the newspaper. New York Post.
“You can probably drive it by car, it’s not that bad, just ignore the ‘road closed’ sign.” I explained that to him. They said they couldn’t.
Lenard Cox prepares sandbags to be distributed to Pinellas County residents ahead of Tropical Storm Milton’s expected arrival in Seminole, Florida, on Sunday.
Rene Guerra carries sandbags as they are distributed to Pinellas County residents ahead of the expected arrival of Tropical Storm Milton, in Seminole, Florida, on Sunday.
Tom Murphy prepares a sandbag with children, as sandbags are distributed to Pinellas County residents ahead of the expected arrival of Tropical Storm Milton, in Seminole, Florida, on Sunday.
It comes just days after the agency took a beating from its boss. Alejandro Mayorkas admitting it won’t be able to pay the bill for this historic hurricane season.
While forecast models vary widely, the most likely track suggests Milton could make landfall Wednesday just north of Tampa Bay and remain a hurricane as it moves across central Florida toward the Atlantic Ocean.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Sunday that while it remains to be seen where Milton will strike, it’s clear Florida will be hit hard.
“I don’t think there’s any scenario where we don’t have significant impacts right now,” he told Floridians.
‘You have time to prepare: all day today, all day Monday, probably all day Tuesday to make sure your hurricane preparedness plan is in place.
“If you’re on that west coast of Florida, barrier islands, assume they’ll ask you to leave.”
DeSantis expanded his state of emergency declaration Sunday to 51 counties and said Floridians should prepare for more power outages and disruptions by making sure they have a week’s worth of food and water and are ready to hit the road.
Meanwhile, the Federal Emergency Management Agency coordinated with the governor and briefed President Joe Biden on Sunday on how it organized life-saving resources to be ready.
An aerial view of flood damage caused by Hurricane Helene along the Swannanoa River on October 3, 2024 in Asheville, North Carolina. FEMA and other emergency management whistleblowers allege that the agency wasted funds, withheld pre-disaster aid and was slow to deploy first responders and service members to help with recovery efforts.
The state has prepared emergency fuel sources and electric vehicle charging stations along evacuation routes, and “identified every possible location that could shelter someone along those routes,” Kevin Guthrie said.
People who live in homes built after Florida strengthened its codes in 2004, who do not rely on constant electricity and who are not in evacuation zones, should probably avoid the roads, he said.
Up to 4,000 National Guard troops are helping state teams clear debris, DeSantis said, and he ordered Florida teams sent to North Carolina after Helene to return to the state to prepare for Milton.
“All available state assets … are being brought together to help clear the debris,” DeSantis said. “We’re going 24/7…all hands on deck.”
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell defended her agency’s response to the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene after Republicans’ false claims, amplified by former President Donald Trump, created a misinformation frenzy in devastated communities.
“This kind of rhetoric doesn’t help people and it’s really a shame that we put politics before helping people,” Criswell told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos.
“It has created fear and distrust among residents against the thousands of FEMA employees and volunteers throughout the Southeast,” he said.
Despite this, Criswell said the agency is already preparing for Milton, long before it is clear exactly where it will move across the Florida peninsula this week.
“We’re working with the state there to understand what their requirements will be so we can have them ready before landfall,” he said.
Tropical Storm Milton was centered about 860 miles (1,385 kilometers) west-southwest of Tampa, Florida, early Sunday, and was moving east at 5 mph (7 kph) with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph. (95 kph), reported the National Hurricane Center. he said in Miami.
The hurricane center said Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, the Florida Peninsula, the Florida Keys and the northwestern Bahamas should monitor the system’s progress.
Heavy rain was expected Sunday ahead of the storm itself, and will likely then combine with rain from Milton to flood waterways and streets in Florida, where forecasters said up to a foot (30 centimeters) of rain could fall in some places until Wednesday night.
Meanwhile, in the open Atlantic, Hurricane Kirk It was downgraded to a Category 2 hurricane on Sunday, with peak winds of 165 kph (105 mph), bringing large waves and “life-threatening surf and current conditions” to Bermuda and northward along the coasts. from the United States and Canada, the center said.
Hurricane Leslie was also moving over the Atlantic Ocean, far from land, with maximum winds of 140 kph (85 mph).