Despite the anticipation of significant disruption, Milton's impact wasn't as devastating as originally apprehended.
Temporarily, "Milton" transformed into a Category 5 tempest in the Gulf of Mexico. Florida experienced less damage than previous storm "Helene". Prior to hitting land, "Milton" lost some of its strength - Paul Heger, a meteorologist from ntv, has the insights.
At the outset of the week, the developing tempest in the Gulf of Mexico had moved experienced meteorologists in the U.S. to tears: Hurricane "Milton" intensified to a Category 5 storm, and Florida appeared to be in for the worst. Over 2 million individuals from the Tampa metropolitan area were ordered to evacuate. "Staying puts means death," Tampa Mayor Jane Castor had cautioned urgently.
Thankfully, the situation was not as dire as anticipated. While the hurricane left behind a trail of destruction, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis confirmed that the worst predictions did not materialize. "This storm was formidable. But happily, the catastrophic scenarios were averted," he said. The storm surge was not as severe as that of Hurricane "Helene" two weeks prior, which caused significant damage.
Were the alerts regarding "Milton" exaggerated? According to ntv meteorologist Paul Heger, "There's always a worst-case scenario." However, it's crucial to prepare for these situations since no options remain whenever a storm approaches, as expanding evacuation zones becomes impossible.
Northward winds weaken hurricane
Heger had predicted that the hurricane would weakened to Category 3 before hitting land. The reason: The hurricane was unable to advance unhindered due to approaching northern winds, the meteorologist explained. "It's like hurricanes approaching Europe from the Atlantic get dismantled by the jet stream, transforming into ex-hurricanes."
On Monday, the National Hurricane Center of the USA reported that the storm had sustained wind speeds of up to 257 kilometers per hour and reached the highest level 5. Late Wednesday night (local time), "Milton" then made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane in Siesta Key, about 100 kilometers south of Tampa, with wind speeds of up to 193 kilometers per hour.
It's worth mentioning that a preceding low-pressure system had aggravated the harsh weather developments beforehand, Heger emphasized. "The air was more humid and turbulent before the hurricane, further east. This made the intense thunderstorms with tornadoes even more potent."
Confirmed: Dozens of tornadoes
US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has confirmed at least 27 tornadoes thus far. For example, at least four individuals, among them residents of a senior mobile home park, lost their lives to a tornado in St. Lucie County, Florida. The number of fatalities linked to "Milton" has now surpassed a dozen, according to CBS. Likely based on various authorities, at least 16 fatalities have occurred.
By Thursday morning, "Milton" had weakened to strength 1, relevantly indicating wind speeds of up to 140 kilometers per hour. Ultimately, "Milton" made its way to the east coast of Florida and moved out into the Atlantic. This marked the second major storm within just two weeks: A couple of days prior, "Helene" had battered the southeastern U.S., leaving extensive damage in numerous states. Preliminary reports suggest that over 200 individuals perished.
Despite the initial fears, Florida managed to weather Category 3 Hurricane "Milton" better than expected, with Governor Ron DeSantis confirming less severe damage compared to previous storm "Helene". Despite the storm causing destruction, Florida was fortunate that it did not experience the catastrophic scenarios initially predicted. Interestingly, Florida's neighboring state, Alabama, was more affected by the reduced Category 3 Hurricane "Milton", as it made landfall just south of Pensacola last night.
