Just two weeks after Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 hurricane that swept from the Florida Gulf Coast to the North Carolina mountains, Florida was hit by its second Category 5 hurricane of the season. Hurricane Milton caused significant damage to Florida cities, regardless of the intense preparations taken prior to its arrival. The city government of Tampa issued mandatory evacuations along with other safety precautions ahead of the storm. Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis expects the removal of all debris left by Hurricane Milton to take an entire year.
Roughly 115,000 sandbags were distributed in Tampa ahead of Hurricane Milton. The city had limited time to pick up debris left by Hurricane Helene before the arrival of Hurricane Milton, so Tampa focused on clearing their most impacted areas. 26,000 cubic tons of debris was collected in just two weeks.
Before the arrival of Hurricane Milton, several tornadoes struck parts of central and southern Florida. 126 Tornado warnings were issued in one day during this tornado outbreak, Florida’s greatest number of tornado warnings issued in a single day.
The highest wind gust in Florida occurred in Egmont Channel, with winds reaching a speed of 105 miles per hour. The winds from Hurricane Milton were strong enough to flip small planes in Florida; the Orlando International Airport reported wind gusts of 86 miles per hour. An extreme wind warning was issued in areas where winds passed 90 miles per hour.
St. Petersburg, Florida experienced the greatest amount of rainfall from Hurricane Milton at 18.87 inches. After 100 years, Florida’s monthly rainfall record was broken in a single day; over 11 inches of rain was recorded.
The flooding in St. Petersburg and Tampa were waist-deep as a result of substantial rainfall. Flash flood emergencies were issued following rainfall-driven flooding, and in some locations, flooding continues to escalate.
The aftermath of Hurricane Milton, such as flooding, downed trees and power lines, and debris, has posed safety concerns for Florida residents. It is encouraged that Florida residents take precautionary measures to stay clear of any safety hazards until the state makes a full recovery.
