Saturday 21 / December / 2024
Washington DC: Florida reels from hurricane Milton's impact, with over three million households without power and at least five deaths. The storm made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane, down from the initial Category 5, according to a report by Al Jazeera.
Ron DeSantis, Florida Governor, confirmed that five people have been killed in St Lucie County due to Hurricane Milton.
The US National Hurricane Center's latest advisory reports that Hurricane Milton has further deteriorated, dropping to a Category 1 hurricane.
DeSantis spoke about the devastating impact of Hurricane Milton. Sharing a post on X, he said, "Hurricane Milton made landfall in Sarasota County last night and moved quickly across central Florida, producing significant flooding, high winds, and destructive tornadoes."
"Search and rescue operations began overnight as soon as the storm passed and are ongoing. National Guard, State Guard, and Fish and Wildlife Commission personnel, as well as local law enforcement and first responders, are engaged in rescue missions throughout impacted areas," the post added.
The Florida Governor further advised people to be cautious of hazards like downed power lines while surveying damage and cleaning up property. He said, "Over 3 million households are without power, but 6,35,996 accounts have already been restored as of 6:00 AM. More than 50,000 linemen are in Florida and working to restore power as efficiently and safely as possible. As you are surveying damage and cleaning up your property, be cautious of hazards like downed power lines and operate generators a safe distance from your house."
US President Joe Biden also advised people to stay safe amid Hurricane Milton.
Sharing a post on X, he wrote, "To everyone impacted by Hurricane Milton: I urge you stay inside and off the roads. Downed power lines, debris, and road washouts are creating dangerous conditions. Help is on the way, but until it arrives, shelter in place until your local officials say it's safe to go out."
In another post, he said, "As difficult as these past days have been, we've seen incredible courage from so many Americans coming together--first responders, friends, families, and neighbors looking out for one another. To all the people impacted by Hurricanes Milton and Helene: We've got your back."
As of Wednesday morning, a little over 23 per cent of Florida gas stations were without fuel, including more than 59 per cent in the area around Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg, CBS News reported, citing GasBuddy. Those numbers had witnessed a rise since Tuesday night.
Earlier, the National Weather Service in Miami observed at least four twisters, including a "multi-vortex tornado," as meteorologists said that storm surge starting to arrive along the southwestern Florida coast.
Tornado warnings were issued for various cites, in addition to hurricane and storm surge warnings already in place for many of those same places.
After unfurling into an explosive, massive Category 5 storm with winds topping 180 mph on Monday, Milton's sustained wind speeds started to reduce as the storm was about to make landfall. Earlier, forecasters termed it a "catastrophic" hurricane.
