Florida bracing for largest evacuation in seven years as Hurricane Milton approaches US shores, US News reports
Florida is getting ready for its largest evacuation in seven years as the US state prepares for the arrival of Hurricane Milton.
The weather system, which intensified from a tropical storm to a hurricane on Sunday, is expected to reach the US on Wednesday.
The hurricane, currently moving east across the Gulf of Mexico, is projected to hit the Tampa Bay area before moving over Orlando.
This comes after over 200 people lost their lives when Hurricane Helene devastated southeastern US, including parts of Florida, last month.
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Before and after Hurricane Helene
Forecasters anticipate that some affected areas will likely be hit again, exacerbating the damage caused less than two weeks ago.
Kevin Guthrie, director of Florida’s emergency management division, cautioned that residents should be prepared for the “largest evacuation that we have seen most likely since 2017 Hurricane Irma“.
He further stated: “I highly encourage you to evacuate.”
A man prepares a sandbag with his children in Pinellas County, Florida. Pic: Reuters
In 2017, around seven million people were ordered to evacuate their homes in Florida ahead of Hurricane Irma, which resulted in over 130 deaths in the state.
The extensive evacuation led to long traffic jams on highways and major lines at gas stations.
Officials claim they have learned from the disorganized scenes in 2017 and will have emergency fuel stations and charging points for electric vehicles along evacuation routes.
Near-empty shelves at a Walmart in Tampa ahead of Milton’s arrival. Pic: Reuters
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis cautioned that power outages are likely and debris from Hurricane Helene will “significantly increase”.
He expressed: “I don’t see any scenario where we don’t have major impacts at this point.
“You have time to prepare – all day today, all day Monday, probably all day Tuesday to ensure your hurricane preparedness plan is in place.
“If you’re on the west coast of Florida, barrier islands, just anticipate that you’ll be asked to evacuate.”
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Pinellas County, which includes the city of St Petersburg, is expected to issue mandatory evacuations for over 500,000 people in the lowest-lying areas on Monday, officials announced at a news conference.
Evacuations have already been mandated for six hospitals, 25 nursing homes, and 44 assisted living facilities in the county.
Empty sandbags are distributed to motorists in Pinellas County. Pic: Reuters
St Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch stated: “We are already facing years of rebuilding due to Hurricane Helene, and this will be worsened by the impacts of this storm.
“Remember, Hurricane Helene was 100 miles away from us, moving in a different direction. This is a powerful category two or three hurricane heading straight for us.”
A hurricane warning has also been issued for the northern coast of Mexico‘s Yucatan Peninsula.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, US President Joe Biden announced an additional 500 active-duty soldiers would be sent to North Carolina to aid in Hurricane Helene recovery efforts, bringing the total to 1,500 troops.
Over $137m (£104m) in federal assistance for the region has been approved thus far.
