Hurricane Milton lashed Florida Wednesday night with high winds, deadly rain and storm surge as people who had endured another storm just two weeks earlier prepared for a long, violent night.
The “extremely dangerous” Category 3 storm made landfall near Siesta Key, a densely populated area on the state’s west coast, the National Hurricane Center said in a bulletin at 8:30 p.m. (0030 GMT Thursday).
“So the storm is here. It’s time for everyone to calm down,” Governor Ron DeSantis said at a news conference just before Milton’s arrival.
The NHC said life-threatening storm surge, extreme winds and flash flooding are occurring across the central Florida Peninsula.
Tidal waves are expected to flood the densely populated and low-lying Gulf Coast of western Florida amid fears of widespread chaos and possible deaths.
Milton is later expected to travel through inland areas and reach the Atlantic Ocean, passing tourist hub Orlando – home of Walt Disney World.
As soon as it hit land, Milton was experiencing sustained winds of up to 120 miles (205 kilometers) per hour, with the potential for a storm surge of 13 feet (four meters), the NHC said.
In cities up and down Florida’s west coast, winds were blowing hard and rain was pouring down as frightened people sought shelter wherever they could.
In downtown Sarasota, near Siesta Key, gusts of wind blew out glass from waterfront buildings. The roads were deserted. The trees were swaying almost horizontally, barely able to withstand the wind. Businesses were closed and bags were filled with sand.
Someone wrote on a wooden board in front of the window of an old red brick building: “Be kind, Milton.”
Just before landfall DeSantis said it was too late and too dangerous to evacuate anyone, so people had to stay where they were and weather the storm.
“Stay inside and off roads. Flood waters and severe storm surges are very dangerous,” the governor said.
Airports in Tampa and Sarasota were closed until further notice.
‘Second storm’
Milton arrived just two weeks after another major hurricane, Helene, caused devastating and deadly impacts in Florida and other southeastern states.
“I’m terrified. This is something we’ve been through with other hurricanes – the ground is completely flooded, still recovering from that,” pool business owner Randy Pryor told AFP.
Pryor, 36, says he’s planning to weather the storm at home after recently dealing with Hurricane Helene, which flooded Florida before devastating remote areas like western North Carolina.
The Weather Channel reported “multiple tornadoes” across central and southern Florida.
With Hurricane Helene hitting the US southeast shortly after the deadly hurricane, presidential candidate Donald Trump has tried to score political points by falsely saying that aid would go to residents, many of whom are supporters of his Republican party, and migrants. Is being taken towards.
At the White House on Wednesday, President Joe Biden criticized an “assault of lies” from the Republican former president and current nominee.
“Disinformation and outright lies are being promoted recklessly, irresponsibly and relentlessly,” Biden said in angry remarks.
Vice President Kamala Harris, who is facing Trump in the election, echoed Biden’s criticisms in a separate telephone interview with CNN.
He said, “Frankly, it’s dangerous, it’s unconscionable that anyone who considers themselves a leader would mislead desperate people to such an extent that those desperate people will not get the help they deserve.”
Throughout the Southeastern United States, emergency workers are still struggling to provide relief after Helen, which killed at least 235 people.
Scientists say global warming plays a role in the intense storms as warmer sea surfaces release more water vapor, providing extra energy for storms, which in turn increases their winds.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
