Florida faces ‘matter of life and death’ as Hurricane Milton closes in
Residents of Florida are hurrying to complete their emergency preparations—or simply evacuate—as Hurricane Milton approaches landfall near the densely populated Tampa Bay area.
Currently classified as a category five storm, Milton is generating intense winds of up to 165 mph (270 km/h) and is expected to strike with full force on Wednesday night. This comes less than two weeks after the state was hit by the destructive Hurricane Helene.
President Joe Biden urged Floridians on Tuesday to evacuate their homes, emphasizing that it is a “matter of life and death,” as the state initiates its largest evacuation effort in years.
“A category five storm is like a massive tornado heading straight for you,” a resident from the Gulf Coast city of Bradenton shared with the BBC from the hotel in Kissimmee where he has sought refuge.
“I wouldn’t want to be there,” said Gerald Lemus. “This storm will change lives no matter where it makes landfall.”
Lemus, a lifelong Bradenton resident, noted that he has never evacuated for any previous storms, but felt compelled to do so this time for the safety of his eight-year-old daughter.
“I just looked at her and I couldn’t traumatize her to something like this,” he said on Tuesday night. “It’s a gamble we weren’t willing to make.”
ML Ferguson has been struggling to rebuild her home in Anna Maria, Florida after it was severely damaged last month by Helene, powerful category-four hurricanes when it hit.
“This one is going to be way worse than Helene,” she said on the phone while stalled in highway traffic out of the city.
“My car is totalled, we all were laid off of our job, and [my] belongings were ruined. After this storm hits, I will officially become homeless.”
Governor Ron DeSantis said on Tuesday that Florida had prepared dozens of shelters outside of evacuation zones to help house residents left stranded in the wake of the “monster” storm.
Long queues at petrol stations formed in South Florida, as some stations began running out of fuel.
Chynna Perkins told the BBC she is remaining in Tampa, where she lives in a newly constructed home outside the mandatory evacuation zones.
“I don’t think people really understand how much planning has to go into a decision like this,” she said, adding that she has two large Great Danes.
“There’s so much traffic and barely any gas available right now. People are running out of gas on the highway.”
DeSantis said that petrol was being trucked to stations, and electric vehicle charging stations also were deployed along roadways to ease the evacuation.
Tampa resident Steve Crist, spoke to the BBC while boarding up the windows of his dentist office. “Everyone’s gone. I’ve never seen it so quiet,” he said.
Speaking at the White House on Tuesday, President Biden said the storm could be one of Florida’s worst in a century.
“Evacuate now, now, now,” he told Florida residents.
The White House canceled Biden’s planned visit to Germany and Angola in order to oversee preparations for Milton and ongoing recovery from Hurricane Helene.
Less than two weeks ago Hurricane Helene – the deadliest mainland storm since Katrina in 2005 – pummelled the US south-east, killing at least 225. Hundreds more are missing.
At least 14 of those deaths were in Florida, where 51 of 67 counties are now under emergency warnings as Milton approaches.
The National Hurricane Center has warned people to brace for strong winds that could potentially send debris still on the streets from Helene to destructively fly through the air.
Rainfall totals could reach highs of 15in (38cm), and coastal areas could see storm surges of 10-15ft (3-4.5m).
Hurricanes are categorize based on wind speed. Category three and higher are considered major because of their potential for damage and loss of life, according to the National Weather Service.
Counties began issuing evacuation orders on Monday, with tolls suspended on roads in western and central Florida.
School closures in several counties began on Tuesday. Airports in Tampa and Orlando announced they would be suspending flight operations until the storm passes.
Parts of Pinellas County, where at least a dozen people were killed by Helene, were placed under evacuation orders on Monday.
