 "'Storm of the century': Hurricane Milton, hours away from hitting Florida, will double in size")
Hurricane Milton will double its wind field by the time it makes landfall in Florida late on Wednesday or early Thursday. A 15-foot-long storm surge is likely to hit the low-lying stretch of the Florida coast that includes the cities of Tampa, St Petersburg and Sarasota.
Although the hurricane is expected to weaken during landfall to a category 4 storm, it will not change the ferocity of the wind and height of tidal surges.
Described as the “storm of a century”, Milton shifted to the northeast overnight, approximately 300 miles (480 km) southwest of Tampa, targeting densely populated and highly vulnerable communities.
The National Hurricane Center has warned, “Milton has the potential to be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida.”
As authorities try to make last-minute evacuations, the mayor of Tampa, Jane Castor said, “If you are in a single-story home that is hit by a 15ft storm surge, which means that water comes in immediately, there’s nowhere to go.”
“So if you’re in it, basically that’s the coffin that you’re in.”
There are reports that while many Florida residents have left, there are some who are defying orders.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsWhat’s causing the hurricane to be so destructive?
Scientists say global warming has a role in intense storms as warmer ocean surfaces release more water vapor, providing additional energy for storms, which exacerbates their winds.
A report by the World Weather Attribution group published Wednesday said Hurricane Helene’s torrential rain and powerful winds were made about 10 percent more intense due to climate change.
“The tragedy is that climate scientists have been warning of this for decades,” said John Marsham, a professor at the University of Leeds.
With inputs from agencies
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