Hurricane Milton hits Florida, more than 2 million customers lose power

On the morning of October 10 (Vietnam time, October 9 local time), Hurricane Milton, a Category 3 storm on the US 5-level scale, made landfall on the west coast of Florida, bringing high waves and the risk of flooding to many areas of the state. Compared to forecasts, Hurricane Milton made landfall earlier and further south and weakened to a Category 2 storm when it reached shore, raising hopes that the damage caused by the storm could be less severe.

Before making landfall in Florida, Hurricane Milton had twice reached Category 5 storm intensity. According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) of the United States, headquartered in Miami, when it made landfall on the coast of Siesta Key, Florida, at 8:30 p.m. on October 9, Hurricane Milton had maximum winds of up to 195 km/h. The US NHC warned that Hurricane Milton could cause sea level rise, flash floods and strong winds, threatening the lives of people.

Because the storm made landfall before high tide, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is hopeful that Florida's west coast will be spared the worst of the storm. Forecasters predict a storm surge of up to 13 feet.



Hurricane Milton's path local time. Photo: BBC

However, just before the storm made landfall, about 125 homes were destroyed and more than 1 million homes and businesses in Florida were without power. Sarasota County, where the storm made landfall, and neighboring Manatee County were the two areas with the most severe power outages. Milton also spawned at least 19 tornadoes across Florida. As of the evening of October 9, authorities had issued more than 130 tornado warnings related to Milton. No deaths have been reported. Authorities are asking people to stay indoors.

Houses destroyed in Florida after Hurricane Milton hit. Photo: WASHINGTON POST

Hurricane Milton is forecast to cross the Florida peninsula overnight, entering the Atlantic Ocean and weakening in the western Atlantic, but will cause dangerous waves. At sea, the storm has caused waves as high as 8.5 meters. Currently, about 9,000 National Guardsmen and 50,000 electric workers have been deployed in Florida, ready to support storm recovery efforts.

Hurricane Milton hits St. Petersburg, Florida. Photo: CNN

Milton, the third hurricane to make landfall in Florida this year, knocked out power to more than 2 million homes and businesses for about three hours. Power outages are expected to continue to increase as the storm moves inland.

KHANH MINH

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/bao-milton-do-bo-vao-florida-hon-2-trieu-khach-hang-mat-dien-post762992.html