Florida is preparing for its largest evacuation in seven years amid fears that Hurricane Milton will cause the largest storm surge in a century while the state is already cleaning up from Hurricane Helene.
Governor Ron DeSantis has issued a state of emergency for 51 of the state’s 67 counties, as officials across the state urge people to flee before Milton makes landfall around 5 p.m. Wednesday.
‘Just go now. Avoid traffic and go now and just get to higher ground,” said Tampa Mayor Jane Castor. he told CNN is telling residents.
Other county and city officials are ordering evacuations, and Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said at a news conference Sunday that residents who choose to ignore evacuation orders should take steps to help authorities identify them. if they die in the storm.
“You probably need to write your name in permanent marker on your arm so people know who you are when they contact you later,” he said bluntly.
Hurricane Milton formed in the Gulf on Sunday night, less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene devastated Florida.
Hurricane Milton expected to hit Florida as a Category 3 storm on Wednesday
Milton was centered Sunday night about 230 miles west-northwest of Progreso, Mexico, and 765 miles west-southwest of Tampa with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph, the National Hurricane Center reported.
While forecast models vary widely, the most likely trajectory suggests Milton could make landfall on Wednesday in the Tampa Bay area and will remain a hurricane as it moves through central Florida toward the Atlantic Ocean.
That would greatly save other southeastern states devastated by Hurricane Helenathat caused catastrophic damage from Florida to the appalachian mountains and a death toll that increased on Sunday to at least 230 people.
But the storm is expected to greatly intensify over the next 48 hours, becoming a Category 3 hurricane when it reaches Florida. according to the Tallahassee Democrat.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has issued a state of emergency for 51 of the state’s 67 counties, as officials across the state urge people to flee before Milton makes landfall.
He It is expected to dump four to eight inches of rain on the cities of Miami, Orlando and Tampa, and could bring up to 15 inches of rain to other parts of the state.
It will also bring the possibility of the worst storm surge in more than 100 years to the Tampa Bay area with up to 10 inches of water, nearly double that of Helene, which killed 12 people in Pinellas County alone. according to the Tampa Bay Times.
“I don’t think there’s any scenario where we don’t have significant impacts right now,” DeSantis said at a news conference Sunday.
“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,” DeSantis said. “If you’re on that west coast of Florida, barrier islands, assume they’ll ask you to leave.”
He went on to suggest that the risk of power outages may be worse than what residents saw during Helene.
The state has already been recovering from the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which hit the Sunshine State less than two weeks ago.
More than 15 million people are now under a flood watch through Thursday morning, and schools in Hillsborough County, Pinellas County and Pasco County have already announced closures through Wednesday, and Hillsborough officials They said the decision allows them to turn schools into shelters.
‘Given the recent impact of Hurricane Helene, many in our community are still recovering and may find it unsafe to remain in their homes. Additionally, we anticipate an influx of evacuees from coastal areas,” county officials said.
“If you are in an evacuation zone, please consider using one of our school shelters.”
Tampa officials also opened all city garages free of charge to residents in hopes of protecting their cars, including electric vehicles, from flooding. Vehicles must be left on the third floor or above of each garage.
DeSantis warned Sunday that flying debris could pose a major threat to lives and property, as many people have yet to remove debris from their homes.
The storm will arrive less than two weeks after Helene left thousands of people stranded in their flooded homes, and Governor DeSantis warned Sunday that flying debris could pose a major threat to lives and property as many people are still They have to remove debris from their homes. .
With that in mind, the governor issued an emergency order Saturday requiring all landfills and debris management sites to be open 24 hours a day.
He also remembered members of the National Guard and State Guard who had been deployed to other southern states to assist with Helene’s recovery efforts.
There are currently more than 800 guardsmen deployed to remove debris, but DeSantis said Sunday that up to 4,000 would soon be available, according to CNN.
“All available state assets … are being brought together to help clear the debris,” DeSantis said. “We work 24/7…all hands on deck.”
And building on lessons learned during Irma and other previous storms, Florida is installing emergency fuel for gasoline vehicles and charging stations for electric vehicles along evacuation routes, said Kevin Guthrie, executive director of the Division of Emergency Management. Florida Emergencies, in a briefing on Sunday.
“We’re looking at all the potential places that could shelter someone, as we call it in emergency management, as a shelter of last resort,” Guthrie added.
FEMA officials say they are prepared to weather the pending storm as some remain stranded in Helene.
When Milton reached hurricane status on Sunday, it was one of the 13th earliest storms of the season, which typically doesn’t occur until October 25, CNN reports.
Milton also marked the first time the Atlantic had three simultaneous hurricanes after September, according to Colorado State University hurricane scientist Phil Klotzbach. There have been four simultaneous hurricanes in August and September.
Still, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said her agency is prepared to confront the pending storm, trying to position resources before Milton hits Florida.
“We’re working with the state there to understand what their requirements will be so we can have them ready before landfall,” he said.
But federal disaster assistance has surpassed $137 million since Helene struck more than a week ago, one of the largest mobilizations of personnel and resources in recent history, FEMA said Sunday.
Some 1,500 active duty soldiers, more than 6,100 members of the National Guard and almost 7,000 federal workers have been deployed, sending more than 14.9 million meals, 13.9 million liters of water, 157 generators and 505,000 tarps, in addition approving more than $30 million in housing and other assistance for more than 27,000 households, according to FEMA, the White House and the Department of Defense.
More than 800 people who cannot return to their homes are staying in shelters provided through FEMA and 22 shelters are still housing nearly 1,000 people as mobile feeding operations continue to assist survivors.
The response to Helene will not slow down during Milton and its aftermath, because FEMA has the ability to address multiple disasters simultaneously, the agency said.
“My administration is sparing no resources to support families as they begin their path to rebuilding,” said President Biden. “We will continue to work hand in hand with local and state leaders, regardless of political party and however long it takes.”