Saturday 21 / December / 2024
Florida: Florida, which continues to reel under the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene, is now readying to brace Hurricane Milton's impact as it churns towards the coast of Florida, Al Jazeera reported.
The National Hurricane Centre (NHC) of the US, stated that Milton had intensified into a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 130 km per hour and is expected to "become a major hurricane on Monday," the NHC said.
The hurricane could make landfall on Wednesday in the Tampa Bay area of Florida and continue to remain a hurricane as it moves across central Florida, forecasters said.
Florida's Governor Ron DeSantis said that while it remains unclear where exactly Milton will strike, it was clear that Florida would be hit hard. He urged Florida residents to ensure they have a "hurricane preparedness plan" in place.
In a public briefing, DeSantis said that ensuring that displaced Floridians have a place to stay following Hurricane Helene is a top priority. In addition to providing travel trailers for temporary housing, more flexibility on regulations pertaining to rentals will help meet Floridians' needs. There's no time for bureaucracy when it comes to helping people get back on their feet following a catastrophic storm.
He also said, "We are closely monitoring Tropical Storm Milton, which has the potential to become a major hurricane. We've mobilised state assets to supplement local governments in an unprecedented debris removal mission for areas that suffered damage from Hurricane Helene and are currently in the projected path of Milton.
The Florida government has launched a page on the social media platform X, by the name @FLSERT, to share important storm preparedness information and updates.
In a press briefing released by the White House on Sunday, President Joe Biden said, "I have been briefed on Tropical Storm Milton as it strengthens across the Gulf of Mexico and the work my administration is doing to preposition life-saving resources in advance of the storm. I urge all residents in Florida to listen to local officials and make preparations as needed."
Kevin Guthrie, the executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, said the agency was preparing "for the largest evacuation that we have seen, most likely since [the] 2017 Hurricane Irma," Al Jazeera noted.
The United States of America has a disaster response plan in place called the Federal government, led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which responds at the request and in support of those impacted by a disaster.
The head of FEMA, Deanne Criswell, in a post on the social media platform X said that the FEMA is prepared to support Floridians in Hurricane Helene's response efforts & prepared for the possible threat of Hurricane Milton.
The St Petersburg-Tampa Bay area is still cleaning up extensive damage from Helene and its powerful storm surge.
UN's senior advisor for climate change, Selwin Hart noted that "climate and weather-related disasters have increased sixfold over the past five decades" for the USA, the Caribbean, and central American countries.
According to the Climate Action Tracker, the US has been unable to meet its targets, such as bringing down emissions and achieving the goal of net zero emissions.
This becomes a leading cause accelerating climate change's impacts in the country.
