Hurricane Milton: maximum category threat looms over Florida

In a bulletin issued this Tuesday, October 8, the US National Hurricane Center announced that Hurricane Milton has returned to maximum strength. Scheduled to hit Florida on Wednesday night, this storm could wreak unprecedented havoc on the southeastern United States.

A potentially historic hurricane

After a brief passage through Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson scale, Milton quickly regained its intensity, becoming a Category 5 hurricane once again. This phenomenon, described as “extremely dangerous”, could well mark Florida’s history. In the words of Joe Biden, it would be “the worst storm to hit this peninsula in a century”.

Calls for immediate evacuation “because if you stay you will die”.

Aware of the gravity of the situation, the American president urged residents to leave threatened areas: “You must evacuate now, it’s a matter of life and death.” Vice President Kamala Harris backed up this call in an interview on ABC, stressing the importance of following the directions of local authorities.

Local officials are not hiding their concern. Jane Castor, mayor of Tampa, firmly warned, “If you choose to stay in one of the evacuation zones, you will die.” It’s a powerful warning, designed to make a lasting impression and encourage maximum caution.

A state already battered by a previous hurricane

This episode comes at a time when the southeastern United States is just recovering from the passage of Helene, a devastating hurricane that struck at the end of September. The consequences were catastrophic: massive flooding, destruction of infrastructure, and a dramatic human toll with at least 234 victims in half a dozen states.

A tense political context

With the hurricane season in full swing, this meteorological event comes in the middle of the presidential campaign. Republican candidate Donald Trump was quick to criticize the federal government’s management, accusing Democratic authorities of not acting quickly enough to help those affected by Helene.

Florida, the third most populous state in the United States, is now preparing to face Milton, a fearsome storm that could redefine the standards of hurricane destruction.