Florida’s Gulf Coast is in a race against time as residents prepare for Hurricane Milton, a Category 5 storm that will landfall on Wednesday. It will strike two weeks after Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc on the region, killing 230 and leaving a mess behind from Florida to the Carolinas.
They are working to clear debris from Helene, which caused appliances, furniture and the like to be strewn across streets and districts. Officials and workers are scrambling to clean up what’s left before Milton arrives, threatening to use it as cannon fodder.
Hurricane Milton will reach the Tampa Bay area in its eye, an area that has not been directly struck by a superstorm in more than 100 years. Despite forecasters saying Milton could ease slightly as it arrives at land, Milton may still be a hurricane as it moves across Florida to the Atlantic Ocean.
Almost Time for Preparedness and Evacuation!
The storm has been blowing at 180 mph and is currently roiling through the eastern Gulf of Mexico with a speed of 10 mph. We’ll be staying hurricane and storm surge alerts for Tampa Bay and surrounding areas as we get ready for 8-12 foot storm surge, almost twice as high as Helene.
“This is the real deal here with Milton,” Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said in a news conference. “If you want to take on Mother Nature, she wins 100% of the time.”
Governor Ron DeSantis stressed the importance of clearing debris from Helene ahead of Milton’s arrival to prevent it from becoming airborne in the storm. “We can’t necessarily bank on the hurricane weakening,” DeSantis warned, emphasizing that Milton could cause “major damage” regardless of its final intensity.
Besides the community action, President Joe Biden has issued an emergency declaration for Florida, and is calling on 7,000 federal employees to assist in one of the largest federal disasters in U.S. history.
A Place Still Trying to Hold on to Helene.
We’re still dealing with the lingering aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which left 12 dead in Tampa and destroyed entire neighborhoods. Workers cleaning up from the last storm have faced backlogs, and a particular landfill even became locked when trucks arrived to load debris, which was broken by state troopers who had to open the gate.
Everyone in Tampa Bay and beyond has been asked to evacuate — mobile homes and anywhere close to water. Many are still thinking about mass evacuation during Hurricane Irma 2017, when roads became choked with traffic and fuel ran out. Gas stations are already sold out, and roads are back blocked as Floridians await evacuation notifications.
Mist and Fear Hang Around.
Gulf Coast citizens are left with the option of staying or going. And many have been haunted by what Helene brought down only two weeks ago. Tanya Marunchak, a Belleair Beach resident who had more than 4 feet of water flood her home during Helene is now contemplating leaving yet again.
“We lost all our cars, all our furniture. The first floor was completely destroyed,” Marunchak said. “This is the oddest weather predicament that there has ever been.”
With Category 5 Hurricane Milton on the horizon, Tampa Bay and much of Florida’s Gulf Coast are bracing for what could be another devastating blow. The coming days will determine whether the region can weather another storm or if it will be pushed further into chaos by Mother Nature’s wrath.
To follow along, check out The National Hurricane Center and CNN Weather.
