The eye of the storm is hours away from the mainland Milton’s outer edge has now reached South Florida where the strong winds have already knocked over trees and power poles.
More than 44,000 electricity customers in Florida are now without power, a figure that is expected to rise as the eye of the storm moves toward the mainland, AP reports.
Meanwhile, more than 90 tornado warnings were issued in the state on Wednesday, the highest number ever issued in one day in a single state, CNN reports.
Authorities have warned that the hurricane could be life-threatening and the rescue service has previously warned that no one can expect to be rescued when the storm moves in over the mainland.
“There are going to be deaths, I don’t think there’s any way around it when you have 10-foot storm surges, there’s going to be people who stay behind, and they’re going to be in need,” said Florida Governor Ron DeSantis during a press conference on Wednesday.
Evacuation orders have been issued for communities along Florida’s west coast, home to more than 6 million people. But as the hurricane moves closer to land, residents who have chosen to stay are now being urged to stay indoors.
– Where you are now is where you will be for the duration of Milton, says one of the affected counties’ director of emergency management, Matt Myers and continues.
– Conditions are quickly getting worse.
US President Joe Biden said earlier Wednesday that the hurricane could be the worst to hit the Tampa area in 100 years and urged residents to take it seriously.
– If you have been ordered to evacuate, you must evacuate now, now, now. You should have already done that. It is a matter of life and death and it is not an exaggeration, he says during a press conference in the White House.
Over 30,000 in shelters
According to Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, over 30,000 people are now in shelters.
– We have over 30,000 individuals in shelters, but we have room for over 200,000 individuals,” says DeSantis during a press conference.