Milton intensified to a category five hurricane as it crossed the Gulf of Mexico on Monday, with US agencies warning of a potentially life-threatening storm surge on the west coast of Florida and the northern coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico.
The US National Hurricane Center upgraded the storm to the highest level on the Saffir-Simpson wind scale on late Monday morning, with wind speeds reaching up to 175 miles per hour.
Milton is expected to make landfall in Florida on Wednesday, bringing heavy rainfall and storm surges as high as 12 feet to the southern state, affecting areas still recovering from hurricanes Helene and Debby.
Hurricane Helene, a category four storm, caused flooding and mudslides across several southern US states less than two weeks ago, resulting in the deaths of more than 225 people.
President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency in Florida late on Monday morning in preparation for the hurricane’s arrival. Milton could prompt the largest number of evacuations since Hurricane Irma in 2017, where 6.7 million residents were forced to relocate, according to global risk advisory firm Guy Carpenter.
The speed and intensity of this year’s hurricanes have raised concerns about the frequency of “compound events”, or dangerous weather occurrences that happen simultaneously or in quick succession, making it harder for communities to prepare and recover from natural disasters.
Climate change is contributing to the increase in compound events, as reported by the latest US government National Climate Assessment.
Milton transitioned from a declared hurricane on Sunday afternoon to a category five storm by Monday morning. Its wind speed accelerated faster than all but two previously recorded storms, increasing by over 90 miles per hour in less than 24 hours, according to the National Hurricane Center.
“I am amazed by how rapidly this storm has intensified,” stated Rachel Cleetus, policy director for climate and energy at the Union of Concerned Scientists.
“This is a clear sign of climate change that we are witnessing here,” she added. As storms intensify quicker and with less warning, the risk of severe harm and casualties rises, Cleetus explained. “People have very little time to react to the strength of a hurricane, and the extent of the devastation.”
For parts of Florida still recovering from Helene, “people are still reeling and resources are very stretched. That is going to make the harm worse,” she cautioned.
Federal assistance for Hurricane Helene had already surpassed $210 million, with nearly $90 million allocated to Florida, as reported by the White House.
Several events have been canceled as officials brace for Milton’s arrival. The Donald Trump-JD Vance Republican presidential campaign postponed an event for Latino voters in Miami on Tuesday due to the storm. “Our thoughts and prayers are with those in the path of Hurricane Milton,” the campaign said in a statement.
During an emergency briefing on Monday afternoon, Ken Graham, director of the National Weather Service, cautioned that some parts of Florida could experience up to 15 inches of rain.
He also warned the public that the area affected by the storm’s intense winds was expected to expand upon landfall.
“To everyone in Milton’s path, the time to prepare is now,” urged Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary.
Additional reporting by Steff Chávez in Washington
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