Super storm with 270km/h winds is about to make landfall, US calls on 1 million people to evacuate

Workers reinforce the door of a building in Tampa, Florida before Hurricane Milton makes landfall (Photo: AFP).

Hurricane Milton barreled toward the Florida coast as a Category 5 storm on October 8, causing massive traffic jams and fuel shortages as officials ordered more than 1 million people to evacuate before it made landfall in the Tampa Bay area.

Expected path of Hurricane Milton (Photo: Fox News).

Milton, one of the most intense storms ever recorded in the Atlantic, is forecast to make landfall late on October 9 or early on October 10, threatening parts of Florida's west coast still struggling to recover from Hurricane Helene less than two weeks ago.

Scott Pepperman carries belongings as he prepares to evacuate as Hurricane Milton approaches New Port Richey, Florida (Photo: Reuters).

This was the first time a hurricane had hit Tampa Bay since 1921, when the area was still remote. Today, it is home to more than 3 million people.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor warned those who were reluctant to evacuate, highlighting Helene as a wake-up call.

“If you choose to stay in one of the areas that need to be evacuated, you will probably lose your life,” Mr. Castor said.

Traffic begins to pick up on Interstate 275 as people evacuate St. Petersburg, Florida (Photo: Reuters).

In Tampa, Estephani Veliz Hernandez said she and her family were packing pets, important documents and cash before heading to a relative's house further inland.

"We left everything behind. We just tried to get to safety. If something happens - if God says so - at least we're together," she said.

The US National Hurricane Center said Milton had maximum sustained winds of 165 mph (270 km/h), making it the highest storm on the five-step Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale.

Furniture begins to be evacuated in New Port Richey (Photo: Reuters).

"Milton's winds are expected to increase as it approaches Florida. In fact, official forecasts show the storm's winds will double by the time it makes landfall," the hurricane center said.

On the other hand, storms also bring strong winds and rainfall that can cause flooding, flash floods, and landslides in inland areas.

A gas station announced it was out of fuel (Photo: Reuters).

About 2.8% of US gross domestic product lies in Milton's direct path, estimates Ryan Sweet, an economist at Oxford Economics.

Airlines, energy companies and an amusement park are among the companies that have begun to halt operations in Florida.

In some areas, people are banned from going to the beach (Photo: Reuters).

Isaac Longley, a meteorologist with commercial forecasting firm AccuWeather, said Hurricane Helene left the Tampa Bay area more vulnerable before Hurricane Milton made landfall.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said 5,000 members of the National Guard have been deployed, with another 3,000 ready to respond to the storm's aftermath.

Remnants of Hurricane Helene a few weeks ago (Photo: Reuters).

President Joe Biden, who postponed a foreign trip to oversee the storm response, urged those told to evacuate to leave immediately, saying it was a matter of life and death.

Long lines have begun forming at gas stations. Some locations are running out of fuel and state police are escorting fuel trucks to the stations, DeSantis said.

About 17% of Florida's nearly 8,000 gas stations ran out of fuel yesterday, according to market tracker GasBuddy.

Toilet paper shelves were nearly empty as people rushed to buy in Tampa, Florida (Photo: Reuters).

By October 8, the flood of departing vehicles had clogged roads leading out of Tampa.

Milton is forecast to be an extremely dangerous hurricane after making landfall in Florida, potentially causing catastrophic damage and power outages lasting for days.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/sieu-bao-suc-gio-270kmh-sap-do-bo-my-keu-goi-1-trieu-nguoi-so-tan-20241009120718260.htm