Officials are „preparing for the largest evacuation that we have seen“ since Hurricane Irma in 2017, an emergency executive director said.
Embattled Florida residents, who are still reeling from two deadly storms in quick succession, have been warned to brace for yet another hurricane—with evacuation orders already underway.
Hurricane Milton, which is due to make landfall midweek, is shaping up to be „a historic, once-in-a-lifetime storm for Floridians“, according to AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter.
The ensuing evacuation could be the largest seen since Hurricane Irma in 2017, experts say, while Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned the leftover destruction from Hurricane Helene could pose additional dangers in the face of a new storm. „There are some areas with a lot of debris. if hit by a major hurricane, it’s going to dramatically increase damage“, he said.
The U.S. has been ravaged by a series of fierce storms in recent weeks, but the misery is far from over as there are still almost two months left of the official hurricane season, which runs from June 1 until November 30. Back in May, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) had predicted an „above-normal“ Atlantic hurricane season for 2024, due to the La Nina weather pattern and warmer-than-average ocean temperatures.
