You need to know if hurricanes are getting worse
Milton, the Fifth Hurricane to Make Landfall in the U.S. this Year, and its Potential Impact on the State’s West Coast
Milton will be the fifth hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. this year. Like Helene, the storm has gained strength rapidly as it spins across the Gulf of Mexico, where water temperatures are abnormally high.
“Hurricane conditions are expected in the warning area on the west coast of Florida as early as Wednesday afternoon, with tropical storm conditions beginning early Wednesday,” the agency said.
School districts and government facilities in the area announced they would be closed for several days. State and local officials have warned residents to comply with mandatory evacuate zones that are enforced by many counties.
“You don’t have to evacuate hundreds of miles,” Gov. Ron DeSantis has said. You can go to places in every county. Maybe it’s a friend’s house, maybe it’s a hotel, maybe it’s a shelter.”
Air travel into and around Florida is already being disrupted by Milton. The Tampa International Airport said it was pausing flights beginning Tuesday morning. The Federal Aviation Administration advised travelers to check their airlines and flight schedules, and said it was monitoring the path of the storm.
Climate change has not led to an increase in the total number of hurricanes hitting the U.S. each year. The storms that form are more likely to intensify with higher wind speeds, heavier rain, and more severe storm surge.
Warmer ocean temperatures can lead to more flooding. Storms like Hurricane Helene suck up huge amounts of moisture as they move towards land, which then falls as rain, and can cause flooding far from the coast.
The Atlantic Ocean, where hurricanes that hit the U.S. form, and the Gulf of Mexico just off Florida, have been hotter than average for more than 18 months, driven both by climate change and the recent El Nino weather pattern.
In 2012 only two hurricanes were Category 1 when they hit the U.S. But one was Hurricane Sandy, which caused tens of billions of dollars in damage up and down the East Coast.
People in Florida are running out of time to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Milton making landfall along the state’s western coastline, now expected as early as Wednesday night.
“Wherever the eye of the storm is, there are going to be impacts far beyond that,” he said Tuesday. You should be working on your plan now. If it’s going to be you who gets out, get out now. Today you have time. If you don’t act now, time will be running out very soon.
Hurricane Milton is likely to hit the US’ west coast as early as Wednesday afternoon, with tropical storm conditions beginning later in the day, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said on Tuesday. It will be the fifth hurricane this year to make landfall in the US. In 2012, only two hurricanes were Category 1 when they hit the US.