Florida: Milton Left Millions of Customers Without Electricity
Houses Flooded product of Milton Rains, Oct 10, 2024 Photo: Meet Our World
October 10, 2024 Hour: 10:47 am
Authorities reported that the hurricane caused drinking water service to be cut off in St. Petersburg due to a major water main break.
More than two million customers were left in the dark in Florida after Milton made landfall as a category 3 hurricane in the southern US state, local media reported today.
Related:
Hurricane Milton Leaves 4 Dead in Florida
The second hurricane to hit Florida in less than two weeks, the hydrometeorological event was accompanied by devastating rains and damaging winds, the National Hurricane Center said.
Five people were reportedly taken to hospitals and 125 homes were destroyed in a tornado outbreak associated with the event.
In addition, authorities reported that the hurricane caused drinking water service to be cut off in St. Petersburg due to a major water main break.
The winds also toppled a crane at a construction site in St. Petersburg, but no human injuries were reported.
Before Milton arrived on US soil, President Joe Biden spoke by phone with Florida officials, including Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Sarasota Mayor Liz Alpert and Congressmen Gus Bilirakis and Kathy Castor, the White House said.
Early reports of the day before said that at least two people died from causes associated with Milton, which was downgraded to a Category 2 storm shortly after making landfall near Siesta Key.
Authorities urged residents to stay off the roads and the Martin County Sheriff’s Office implemented a curfew from 21:00 to 06:00 local time due to significant damage caused by multiple tornadoes and weather conditions that are expected to deteriorate overnight.
The National Weather Service in Tampa Bay described Milton as a historic storm for Florida’s west coast that could result in the worst to impact that area in more than a century.
A study released yesterday warned that due to climate change the warming oceans provide a huge source of energy for storms to strengthen and grow.
More than 90 per cent of global warming in recent decades has occurred in the oceans, and hurricanes make the most of that extra energy.
Helene intensified very quickly from Category 2 to 4 just hours before hitting Florida’s Big Bend region on 26 September, but Milton was one of the fastest to gain strength, reaching a maximum Category 5 in the Gulf of Mexico.
The exceptionally warm water in that area that powered the deadly Hurricane Helene was up to 500 times more likely precisely because of man-made global warming.
Hurricanes as intense as Helene and Milton are now about 2.5 times more likely in the region, whereas previously they were expected every 130 years on average, now they could occur once every 53 years.
Autor: OSG
Fuente: The Independent-The Star
