Hurricane Milton, anticipated to be one of the strongest in U.S. history, is expected to make landfall in Florida on Wednesday night. Currently rated as a Category 4 hurricane, it has winds reaching approximately 155MPH and could bring waves up to five meters high, leading to coastal flooding.
As it traveled from the Gulf of Mexico, Milton was initially classified as a Category 5 hurricane but weakened slightly on Tuesday. That said, there is still significant concern in the U.S. about the hurricane and the destruction it might cause. The area expected to be impacted by Milton continues to expand. President Joe Biden, who was supposed to visit Germany and Angola, canceled his planned trip in order to monitor the hurricane. On Tuesday, he urged residents in evacuation zones to leave their homes immediately, warning that it is a "matter of life and death."
By Tuesday night, the forecast for Milton's landfall directed the hurricane toward the southern part of the Tampa Bay area. On Wednesday, the hurricane shifted slightly southward, closer to the Sarasota area, and the U.S. National Hurricane Center hopes it stays on this path to possibly avoid disaster.
Biden has declared a federal emergency, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Biden approved all his requests for assistance. DeSantis mobilized 8,000 National Guard members to aid in evacuations and assist rescue forces. The National Guard is expected to have a lot of work, partly because not everyone asked to evacuate has done so.
Bridget Stone-Budd, a resident of Sanibel Island in the Tampa Bay area, told CNN she decided to stay because "if we leave, we know we won't be able to return." Sanibel issued an evacuation order, and people who chose to stay entered a 24-hour lockdown on Tuesday afternoon.
About one million people in Florida heeded the warnings and evacuated, and the state's major multi-lane highways struggled with traffic jams. One in four gas stations in the state ran out of supply. All airports in the area, including the major international airports in Orlando and Tampa, closed on Tuesday morning. By the afternoon, almost complete silence prevailed in the entire Tampa area.
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The Florida National Guard helping prepare for the worst
(Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Eliad Cohen, a music producer and DJ who has lived in Miami for the past five years, is preparing for the hurricane. "Every corner here is affected," he says. "Gas stations are empty, there's no gas, people are taking everything in case of an emergency. Supermarkets were full initially, but the shelves emptied quickly; people are really preparing for any scenario. There are instructions to stay home, supplies have been brought in, no one is taking risks."
Despite the tense atmosphere, Eliad explains that hurricanes are part of life in Miami: "We're used to it. In the end, they prepare you for the worst, but usually, it ends with less damage than expected." He mentions friends in Tampa, who are in a more severe situation: "I have friends who left their homes, flew to safer places, or went to hotels, mainly at greater distances from the danger zones. It's really dangerous there."
Regarding Miami, he hopes the hurricane won't hit too hard: "You can't know what will happen. Tomorrow the chaos will begin, and it could be something much more serious. Miami isn't prepared for such heavy rains." Eliad emphasizes his love for the city and says: "Miami is still paradise to me. Yes, there are floods here and there, but within a few days, it's over. It doesn't change my opinion about the place."
Hagit, a resident of Cooper City, said: "The eye of the hurricane isn't supposed to pass over us, but we'll feel the winds, rains, floods and there are tornado warnings. Schools have been canceled for the next two days. We've prepared with water and dry food in case the power goes out. We hope it passes as easily as possible. It's coming to us tonight; we've brought in all the equipment that was outside and anything that could fly away. We've been advised to fill up our car tanks in case we need to evacuate. There's definitely preparation here. We bought batteries. Some families have even bought generators."
Tevel Nitzahon, a 19-year-old student at the University of South Florida (USF) living in Orlando, shares that the campus closed its gates in anticipation of the hurricane. "Classes have been canceled from Tuesday to Friday, and possibly longer. Students can go home, to a place where they feel safe, but we chose to stay here because my friends are here too. We're organizing the house properly, with food and drink in case we can't go out, and we have a bag ready in case we need to leave."
Preparation efforts notwithstanding, Tevel doesn't feel stressed as Milton approaches. "Fear is a personal matter, depending on who you talk to. I'm not stressed, but my parents are a bit worried because I'm not with them. They trust us; we know what to do if we need to leave." However, she knows people who are anxious. "There are those who are experienced, who've been through previous storms and say that by the time it reaches us it will be a Category 1 or 2 hurricane, but you can't know until it happens, she says.
According to Tevel, the hurricane experience depends on the area. "Some people have it harder, especially if they grew up here and have been personally exposed to it," she explains. Tevel compares the situation to feelings in Israel and says: "Like there are sirens there all the time, you get used to it. It's your home, you don't leave. It's the same here."
What is Category 4, anyway?
The National Weather Service characterizes Category 4as a storm in which winds are at 130-156 mph (113-136 kt or 209-251 km/hr). Catastrophic damage will occur: Well-built framed homes can sustain severe damage with loss of most of the roof structure and/or some exterior walls. Most trees will be snapped or uprooted and power poles downed. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months.
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