Hurricane Milton has swiftly intensified into a Category 5 storm as it barrels toward the US Gulf Coast, according to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC). With ferocious winds reaching up to 160 mph (250 km/h), Milton is projected to make landfall in Florida on Wednesday night or early Thursday morning.
In anticipation of the hurricane’s impact, Floridians are being urged to prepare for the state’s largest evacuation effort in years. Governor Ron DeSantis has warned residents that time is running out to evacuate safely.
The warnings surrounding Hurricane Milton come just 10 days after Hurricane Helene struck the southeastern US, marking the deadliest storm since Katrina in 2005. Helene caused the deaths of at least 225 individuals, with hundreds more still reported missing.
The impending arrival of Hurricane Milton comes as the US government warns that cleanup efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene could take years. In affected areas, hundreds of roads remain closed, hindering the delivery of aid to hard-hit communities.
Hurricane Helene made landfall in late September as a Category 4 storm, causing extensive damage to structures, triggering flash flooding, and leaving millions without power. Fatalities have been reported not only in Florida but also in Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and the hardest-hit state, North Carolina.
In response to the ongoing crisis, President Joe Biden has ordered an additional 500 soldiers to be deployed to North Carolina, bringing the total number of troops to 1,500. These service members will collaborate with thousands of government relief workers and National Guard personnel.
So far, President Biden has approved nearly $140 million (ÂŁ107 million) in federal assistance. However, the allocation of these funds has been the subject of misinformation spread by Donald Trump, the Republican candidate for next month’s presidential election, who falsely claimed that relief money had been diverted to support migrants. The head of the US disaster relief agency has condemned Trump’s statements as “dangerous” misinformation.
