Hurricane Milton slams Florida as it makes landfall

By Kielce Gussie

Hurricane Milton was a category 3 storm with winds of over 160 kph when it made landfall on Florida’s west coast on the evening of October 9. Hundreds of thousands were under evacuation orders as they faced flash flood warnings and more than 3 million businesses and homes are left without power.

Millions affected

Milton zipped through the middle of Florida. Strong winds have sparked more than 20 tornadoes, city drinking water pipes have been damaged, and almost one-fourth of Florida’s gas stations report a fuel shortage. More than 70,000 people are now living in government shelters.

Hurricane Milton made landfall as a category 3

Just before the storm hit land, President Joe Biden urged everyone in Milton’s path to evacuate.

Overwhelming support

Volunteers from the American Red Cross have been traveling to Florida to aid in providing care and services to those affected by Milton. Additionally, 40 members of the West Virginia National Guard are being deployed to Florida as part of a response team. The Guard members are expected to remain in the state for 12 days. The President has also sent more than 1,000 Coast Guard members to the affected areas to perform search and rescue.

Aftermath of Hurricane Milton in Florida

Back-to-back storms

Milton is not the first major storm to affect Florida in 2024. Two weeks ago, Helene, which is now categorized as the third deadliest storm to hit the US in this century, also devastated Florida’s Gulf Coast, killing more than 200 people across 6 states.

In the United States, hurricane season runs from the beginning of June until the end of November.