Hurricane Milton: the videos left by the megastorm that killed 10 people

At least ten people died and more than three million homes are without electricity due to the passage of Milton, a hurricane weakened to category 1 but still very dangerous. which caused severe flooding in Florida, United States.

>>> See more: Videos of Hurricane Milton in Florida: shocking images show the strength of the cyclone

Milton unleashed his fury just two weeks after another major hurricane, Helene, devastated Florida and other southeastern states, leaving at least 236 dead and emergency crews still providing aid.

In a statement on its website, St. Lucie County, in eastern Florida, confirmed this Thursday “four fatalities” as a result of two tornadoes caused by Milton.

Milton made landfall on Wednesday around 8:30 p.m. “near Siesta Key in Sarasota County,” on the west coast of Florida, as a Category 3 hurricane on a scale of 5. During the night, winds of up to up to 165 kilometers per hour, according to NHC data.

Milton reduced its strength again during the early hours of the morning, becoming a Category 1 hurricane, but was still registering winds of up to 140 km/h on Thursday morning, according to the NHC.

“The wind was the scariest thing because the buildings were moving and the windows were making noise, even though they are storm-proof”Sarasota resident Carrie Elizabeth said Thursday.

The American president, Joe Biden, repeated on several occasions that Milton had the strength to become “worst storm to hit Florida in a century.”

Accompanied by “extreme winds” and heavy rain, the megastorm caused “sudden” flooding upon arrival, the NHC report stated.

It also caused tornadoes before reaching the center and south of the state, according to the Weather Channel.

Just before Milton made landfall, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis asked state residents to “stay inside and not go out on the roads.”

According to DeSantis, more than three million homes were left without electricity due to the hurricane.

Milton is expected to move toward the Atlantic Ocean. Tampa and Sarasota airports closed until further notice.

In the sector where Milton made landfall, the inhabitants confined themselves in advance, in their homes or in authorized centers.

Before the storm arrived in Tampa, Randy Prior, 36, declared himself “nervous.” “We are still recovering” from Hurricane Helene, that left “the ground saturated” with water, he said.

In another big city, Fort Myers, Debbie Edwards, who decided not to leave, noted that everyone was “anxious.”

SEAN RAYFORD/Getty Images via AFP

“It’s as if post-traumatic stress syndrome has set in” after another devastating hurricane, Ian, two years ago, he added.

For several days, authorities have been urging residents of affected areas to evacuate. “It’s a matter of life or death,” Biden warned.

Florida, the third most populous state in the country and a frequent tourist destination, is used to hurricanes.

According to scientists, climate change plays a role in the rapid intensification of hurricanes, because warmer ocean surfaces release more water vapor, which gives storms more energy and intensifies their winds.

The rains and winds brought by Hurricane Helene were 10% more intense due to climate change, according to a study published Wednesday by the World Weather Attribution (WWA) network.

Elections and Hurricane Milton Conspiracy Theories

President Biden was briefed on Milton’s “initial impacts,” according to the White House, at a time when the Democratic administration’s response will be closely examined by Republicans just four weeks before the presidential election.

Donald Trump and some of his far-right Republican allies have made the Helene and Milton disasters a campaign issue.

BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP

Several conspiracy theories about the government’s impact on the climate and misinformation about the supposed failure of the Biden government and the Democratic candidate, Kamala Harris, in their response to the emergency have spread rapidly.

“Western North Carolina, and the entire state, for that matter, has been totally and incompetently mismanaged by Harris and Biden,” Trump said Wednesday on his Truth Social network.

“Hang in there and vote these horrible ‘public servants’ out of office,” he added.

Harris provoked Trump on a TV show Tuesday night: “Don’t you have empathy for people’s suffering?” she scolded him.

>>> You may be interested in: Hurricane Milton causes flooding and leaves much of Florida without power