As Hurricane Milton races toward the heavily populated Tampa Bay, Florida residents are scrambling to finalize their emergency preparations—or simply evacuate. With winds reaching a staggering 165 mph, Milton has been classified as a category five storm, threatening a state still reeling from the recent devastation of Hurricane Helene.
President Joe Biden issued a stark warning on Tuesday: for Floridians, the decision to leave their homes is now a “matter of life and death.” His plea comes as the state gears up for its largest evacuation effort in years, with 51 of its 67 counties under emergency warnings. The situation is urgent; Milton is projected to make landfall on Wednesday night, less than two weeks after Helene wreaked havoc across the region, leaving at least 225 dead.
In the Gulf Coast city of Bradenton, local resident Gerald Lemus shared his fears from a hotel room in Kissimmee, where he sought refuge with his eight-year-old daughter. “A category five, that is like a giant tornado coming at you,” he said. For Lemus, this is the first time he has evacuated for a storm. “I just looked at her and I couldn’t traumatize her to something like this,” he explained.
The specter of Milton looms large, especially for those like ML Ferguson, who is still recovering from Helene’s destruction. Ferguson, whose home in Anna Maria was severely damaged, expressed her dread while stuck in traffic on the highway. “This one is going to be way worse than Helene,” she said, concerned that the impending storm might leave her homeless.
In preparation for the storm, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced that dozens of shelters outside of evacuation zones have been established to provide refuge for those who may be stranded. However, as residents flood highways in search of safety, long queues at gas stations have become commonplace, and many are running out of fuel. Chynna Perkins, a Tampa resident, chose to stay in her newly constructed home, emphasizing the complexities of such decisions, especially with her two Great Danes in tow. “There’s so much traffic and barely any gas available right now,” she lamented.
As the storm approaches, Tampa has taken on an eerie silence, according to local dentist Steve Crist. “Everyone’s gone. I’ve never seen it so quiet,” he remarked while boarding up his office windows. This quietude reflects the mass exodus driven by the fear of Milton’s impact.
At the White House, Biden canceled planned trips to Germany and Angola to oversee the federal response to Milton and the ongoing recovery from Helene. He stressed the severity of the situation: “Evacuate now, now, now.” His administration has already dispatched 500 additional troops to North Carolina, where recovery efforts continue from Helene’s destruction, with nearly $140 million in federal assistance approved to aid those in need.
The National Hurricane Center has warned residents to brace for winds capable of turning debris—leftover from Helene—into dangerous projectiles. Rainfall could reach up to 15 inches, while coastal areas brace for storm surges of 10-15 feet. As history has shown, storms of this magnitude are not just meteorological events; they are life-altering occurrences that reshape communities.
With the trauma of Helene still fresh in their minds, Floridians now face another existential threat in Milton. The storm’s potential for destruction looms large, and as residents evacuate or prepare to hunker down, one thing is clear: this hurricane season will be marked by heart-wrenching decisions and an urgent race against nature’s fury.
