Florida: Hurricane Milton picked up speed on Sunday and is now headed for the Tampa Bay area, posing a threat to Florida and prompting evacuation orders along a coastline already recovering from Hurricane Helene’s destruction. Although forecast models differ, the most likely course is that Milton may make landfall in the Tampa Bay region on Wednesday and continue to strengthen into a hurricane as it progresses through central Florida and into the Atlantic Ocean.
3 Hurricanes At The Same Time
That would essentially protect other states in the Southeast from Hurricane Helene’s devastating effects, which stretched from Florida into the Appalachian Mountains and resulted in at least 230 fatalities as of Sunday. Authorities in Pinellas County, where St. Petersburg is located, ordered residents near the barrier island beaches including mobile home parks to leave voluntarily. Evacuations that are mandatory are probably next.
According to Phil Klotzbach, a hurricane expert at Colorado State University, this is the first time the Atlantic has had three hurricanes at the same time since September, with Milton attaining hurricane status. In August and September, there were four hurricanes that hit at the same time. The St. Petersburg-Tampa Bay region is still repairing significant damage caused by Hurricane Helene. Storm surge flooded the coast, killing twelve people. The small 20-mile (32-kilometer) section of barrier islands between St. Petersburg and Clearwater sustained the most damage.
Damage From Helene Hurricane
The St. Petersburg-Tampa Bay region is still repairing significant damage caused by Hurricane Helene. Storm surge inundated the shore, killing twelve people, with the limited 20-mile strip of barrier islands between St. Petersburg and Clearwater suffering the most damage. More than 90% of the roughly 23 million people who live in the state are spread among 51 of the 67 counties that DeSantis declared to be under a state of emergency on Sunday.
It is anticipated that much of the state’s Panhandle, which is still recovering from other recent storms, will escape damage. According to DeSantis, Floridians should be ready for additional power outages and disruptions. They should stock up on food and water for a week and be prepared to travel. The White House, and the Department of Defense, approximately 1,500 active-duty soldiers, more than 6,100 National Guard members, and nearly 7,000 federal employees have been deployed.
Food And Water Shipment
They have shipped more than 14.9 million meals, 13.9 million liters of water, 157 generators, and 505,000 tarps, and they have approved more than $30 million in housing and other forms of assistance for over 27,000 households. FEMA-provided housing is home to over 800 individuals who are unable to return home, and 22 shelters continue to house almost 1,000 people while mobile food programs support those who have survived. Because FEMA is able to handle numerous disasters at once, the response to Helene won’t slow down during Milton or its aftermath.