Thousands of people displaced from Florida due to Hurricane Milton

Arab Weather - The US state of Florida, overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, is awaiting the arrival of Hurricane Milton, which has forced thousands of residents to flee their homes. Authorities have ordered the evacuation of more than a million people from their areas before the hurricane reaches Tampa Bay, which is a densely populated area. The hurricane is expected to hit land late Wednesday or in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Area affected by Hurricane Milton

The Tampa Bay area, home to more than three million people, is still reeling from Hurricane Helene, which hit less than two weeks ago. Concerns are growing about the damage expected as Milton, one of the strongest hurricanes, approaches.

• Category 5 hurricane

The National Hurricane Center said that Hurricane Milton's winds reached 270 kilometers per hour, making it a Category 5 hurricane, the highest level on the hurricane intensity scale. This speed is considered fast enough to cause significant destruction in the areas it will hit.

• Emergency procedures

In preparation for the storm, 5,000 National Guard members have been deployed to Florida, with another 3,000 on standby to intervene if needed. Gov. Ron DeSantis stressed the importance of these efforts to ensure a rapid response to any consequences that may arise from the hurricane.

For his part, President Joe Biden urged citizens who were ordered to evacuate immediately, stressing that the matter represents a "matter of life and death." Biden also postponed an overseas trip to personally oversee the storm response efforts.

Traffic jams and running out of gas in Florida

In a related context, the roads leading out of Tampa witnessed severe traffic congestion due to the displacement of residents, and about 17% of the state's 8,000 gas stations ran out of fuel by the end of Tuesday.

The hurricane is expected to remain strong after making landfall, potentially causing widespread catastrophic damage, including power outages for days.

See also:

What is the truth behind the rare video of "wild waves" in the Florida sky as Hurricane Milton approaches?

More than a million people evacuated in the United States due to Hurricane Milton