The worst has come to light as Hurricane Helene’s aftermath has shed its harsh ways. Entire roads, including parts of the Interstate system, have been destroyed, stalling rescue efforts and escape routes.
Hurricane Helene, the most powerful and devastating hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane season thus far, hit the Southeastern United States on September 28th. Although hitting Florida’s Big Bend region first, the worst damage was seen in Western North Carolina with 77 of the 199 deaths resulting from the hurricane occurring there according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, reported via ABC 13 News.
President Biden has ordered 500 active duty military members to help with humanitarian and search and rescue efforts in North Carolina, in addition to the 6,100 National Guardsmen already stationed in the area, as reported by CBS News.
Another hurricane, Hurricane Milton, is also rapidly intensifying in the Gulf of Mexico. Milton, which formed on October 5th, has been seen as a worst-case scenario for the region in the wake of Hurricane Helene. Hurricane Milton, projected to be a fierce category 3 hurricane, has defied expectations and has continued to grow, all according to CNN. This, as Florida continues to rebuild after Hurricane Helene, has caused much fear within Florida, specifically in the Central and Southern regions. The hurricane strengthened rapidly, going from a category 1 hurricane to a category 5 hurricane in only two days time. Tampa Bay issued evacuation orders on October 7th, with some stating that Hurricane Milton will “…be [like] flying missiles” with the storm’s wind speeds and debris that it will carry, all of which has been reported by The AP.
As of October 9th, Hurricane Milton has weakened slightly, moving to a category 4 hurricane. Nonetheless, President Biden has stated that it will be the “Storm of the century”, as reported by The Guardian, and has directed federal forces to assist in the humanitarian efforts that will follow.
According to Fox 13 Tampa Bay, on October 9th, Hurricane Milton is currently barreling toward the Florida west coast at 16 miles per hour, being only 150 miles away from such. Maximum sustained winds in the storm have been clocked at 130 miles per hour, 1 mph over being downgraded to (albeit a still scary) category 3 hurricane. The hurricane is nonetheless expected to hit as a category 4. Storm surges in the Tampa Bay region are predicted to top out at a dangerous 15 ft, with low estimates being a still impressive 10 feet. Central Florida is also expected to get anywhere from 5 to 10 inches of rain overnight Wednesday, which has contributed to fears of inland flooding.
Hurricane Milton has also spawned a tornado outbreak in the region. USA Today, citing unofficial reports has stated that 4 tornadoes have been recorded on the ground.
Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida has 6,000 Florida National Guard members, with “… 3,000 more from other states… …at the ready…” as well as 50,000 linemen (workers who maintain electrical lines, their transmission stations, and the overall grid) which was also reported by USA Today.
The night of Wednesday, October 9th, Hurricane Milton hit the western coast of Florida. Hours later, dissipating along the way, it would move to the Atlantic Ocean. While not the “Hurricane of the Century” some made it out to be, it nonetheless left destruction in Florida. In its wake, it has left 8 people dead, 3 million in Central Florida without power, and destroyed the dome of Tropicana Stadium (which was housing linemen, National Guardmembers, and first responders). 340 people have been rescued, along with 49 pets, according to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, all of which have been reported on by The AP.
If you would like to donate to help the Red Cross Relief fund for both Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, the link can be found above in the Red Cross name.
