This Thursday, October 10, Hurricane Milton is traveling through Florida, weakened to category 1 but still very dangerous, depriving more than 2.5 million homes of power and causing flooding, two weeks after the devastating passage of Hurricane Helene.
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Hurricane Milton made landfall on the west coast of Florida not far from ” Siesta Key in Sarasota County », Wrote the American Hurricane Center (NHC) in its 8:30 p.m. (12:30 a.m. UT) bulletin. Winds reaching 165 km/h were recorded on the evening of October 9, noted this source, warning of the risk of submersion. More than 2.5 million homes were left without power, according to the specialist site poweroutage.us.
“ Extreme winds »
Downgraded at the end of the day to category 3 (out of 5), it further decreased in strength on Thursday October 10 in the morning (category 1), according to the NHC. Milton was expected as “ one of the most destructive hurricanes in over a century in Florida “, warned Joe Biden on Wednesday evening. Accompanied by “ extreme winds ” and heavy rains, Milton caused floods upon his arrival “ sudden », Specifies the NHC bulletin.
We put up hurricane shutters, we lowered the awnings, that’s all there is to do…
On the road from Florida, the testimonies of those who fled Milton
“ The storm is here. It’s time for everyone to confine themselves (…) Stay indoors and don’t take the road ” Florida State Governor Ron DeSantis said at a press conference just before the hurricane arrived. Milton must cross Florida from west to east, according to the NHC, passing in particular near the city of Orlando, where the Disney World theme parks were closed at midday. Tampa and Sarasota airports are at a standstill. Tornadoes were also observed in central and southern Florida, south of UNITED STATESaccording to the Weather Channel.
Hurricane power intensifying
Two weeks after the passage – in the same sector – of Hurricane Helenewhich left at least 236 dead across the southeastern United States, including at least 15 in Florida, Milton “ is going to be a deadly and catastrophic storm “, warned Deanne Criswell, director of the federal natural disaster response agency (Fema). Florida, the third most populous state in the country which attracts many tourists, is used to hurricanes. But climate change, by warming the seasmakes their rapid intensification more likely and increases the risk of more powerful phenomena, according to scientists.
For more than a year, temperatures in the North Atlantic have been continuously evolving at record levels of heat, according to data from the American Meteorological Observatory (NOAA). Donald Trump, who regularly makes climate-sceptical remarks, has been accusing the Democrats for days, and without the slightest proof, of having “ stole the money » from Fema for “ give it to their illegal immigrants “. Allegations qualified, Wednesday October 9, as “ dangerous ” And ” unacceptable » by her rival for the presidential election of November 5, the vice-president Kamala Harris.
Also readUnited States: dangerous Hurricane Milton makes landfall in Florida