USA Hurricane Milton: Florida after the monster storm

Hurricane "Milton" has reached the sea again after its devastating path across the US state of Florida. It left behind dead and injured people, millions of households without electricity and many thousands of people without drinking water.

Although the eye of the storm is moving on, the authorities continue to warn of heavy rain and strong winds, especially in east and central Florida. Between 50 and 100 liters of rainfall per square meter are still expected in parts of the state. The US hurricane center also warned of storm surges on the west coast.

Dead and injured

According to a sheriff, several people died in a trailer park for senior citizens as a result of a tornado associated with "Milton". Speaking to CNN, St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson did not give an exact number of deaths. "I can tell you that there is more than one person who has lost their life and we have already recovered them." Around 200 emergency personnel are still searching for people who are still trapped in the plant.

In the city of Palm Beach on the west coast, emergency services rescued several people from collapsed buildings or cars that had been knocked over by the wind. Several people were taken to hospital with injuries, according to the local fire department.

Power outages and burst water pipes

More than 3.2 million households in Florida were temporarily without power, according to data from the website poweroutage.us. At least 70,000 people sought shelter in emergency shelters, said the head of the US Disaster Management Agency, Deanne Criswell, to the British broadcaster BBC Radio 4. 31 counties had ordered evacuations before the storm arrived. The danger has not yet been averted: "Although the wind is decreasing, the threat is not abating."

According to initial reports, the region south of the city of Tampa on the west coast, which had already been classified as a high-risk area before the hurricane hit, was particularly affected. In the city of St. Petersburg, the city turned off the drinking water after a water pipe burst. Repairs were to begin as soon as it was safe for workers to do so. Around 260,000 people live in St. Petersburg.

High winds

US President Joe Biden also issued an urgent warning about the hurricane and therefore canceled his planned trip to Germany. Residents of affected areas should seek safety.

The hurricane reached the coast on Wednesday evening (local time) with a category 3 out of 5. At the beginning, wind speeds of up to 193 kilometers per hour were measured. The storm has since weakened to hurricane level 1, which corresponds to wind speeds of 119 to 153 kilometers per hour. At times, the fire department and police were unable to deploy due to the dangers posed by the storm.

Climate change causes more frequent strong hurricanes

German climate researcher Mojib Latif pointed to the increase in violent hurricanes over the past decade due to climate change. "Overall, the destructive power of hurricanes has increased," said the meteorologist on Deutschlandfunk radio. "This clearly has to do with the warming of the world's oceans." They have become very, very warm in recent years.

Ken Welch, Mayor of St. Petersburg, recalled that Hurricane Helene hit Florida just two weeks ago, killing well over 200 people. He told MSNBC: "This is just one example of the new normal: storms are getting stronger, they're moving faster and they're putting our infrastructure to the test."

Tropical cyclones form over warm ocean waters. The hurricane season in the Atlantic lasts from June to the end of November.

SDA