Florida prepares for severe storm – DW – 10/10/2024

Hurricane Milton’s arrival has been preceded by several tornadoes which have swept across Florida throughout Wednesday. At least 18 tornado sightings have been confirmed, while the National Weather Service has issued over 100 tornado warnings across the state, a record in a single day.

Tornadoes develop when warm air heated by increasing ground temperatures rises and clashes with cooler air above. The resulting thundercloud can then be caused to rotate by powerful winds blowing in different directions, with a cone-shaped funnel spinning towards the ground.

One such twister dramatically crossed interstate highway 75, although it didn’t cause any injuries. Another tore the roof off a house in Fort Myers on the west coast while another was filmed moving through Fort Pierce on Florida’s east coast.

Major Florida theme parks shuttered ahead of the storm, with Disney World and Universal Studios closed on Wednesday afternoon, and SeaWorld did not open at all.

All are expected to remain closed Thursday. The Orlando area is the most visited destination in the United States due in large part to the parks. In 2023, at least 74 million tourists visited the area. Orlando International Airport, the nation’s seventh busiest and Florida’s most trafficked, ceased operations Wednesday morning.

Milton weakened slightly to a Category 3 hurricane over the Gulf of Mexico, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported. However, the storm still packed winds of over 120 mph (195 kph).

Steady rain fell, and winds gusted as Milton drew closer to the Tampa Bay region, which is home to more than 3.3 million people and hasn’t seen a direct hit from a major hurricane in more than a century.

As Hurricane Milton approaches the west Florida coast, US President Joe Biden has repeated warnings to residents to evacuate, despite the storm being set to be downgraded to category three when it makes landfall.

After praising emergency service workers who he said were “ready to conduct life-saving missions,” Biden also took aim at misinformation related to the federal response to Hurricane Helene two weeks ago.

He condemned lies spread by various individuals and emphasized the availability of government resources to respond to Hurricane Milton.

Hours before it struck Florida, Hurricane Milton lashed the region with rain and wind, threatening a life-threatening storm surge near Tampa Bay.

Seven tornadoes have hit Florida before Hurricane Milton, the National Weather Service in Miami said.

Gas stations in parts of Florida are experiencing gasoline shortages as residents brace for Hurricane Milton.

Governor Ron DeSantis emphasized that there is no statewide fuel shortage, but “demand has been extraordinarily high, and some gas stations have run out.”