Hurricane Milton is predicted to be one of the worst ones to hit the Tampa Bay area in more than 100 years.
Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall in Florida as a Category 5 storm – the highest level on the hurricane scale in the country – on the morning of October 9 and is expected to be more destructive than Hurricane Helene, which made landfall in the area in late September.
Six million residents have been warned of the hurricane and many have been requested to evacuate as the storm is expected to bring water levels up to 15 feet (about 4.7 meters) and maximum winds of up to 257 km/h, threatening the lives of people. Up to now, the hurricane is still moving at a very fast speed.
“If the storm continues on its current track, it will be the worst storm to hit the area in over 100 years,” the Tampa Bay Weather Service said.
Tampa Bay Mayor Jane Castor urged residents to evacuate ahead of the hurricane’s arrival. Speaking to CNN, Castor made an urgent plea to those in the area who were warned to evacuate:
“What I’m saying is not an exaggeration: If you choose to stay, you die. You can choose not to leave in other storms, but you can’t do that with this one.”
Mayor Castor also said this was the first time Tampa Bay had to issue such a severe warning: “This is something I’ve never seen in my life and anyone who was born or raised in the Tampa Bay area has never experienced this.”
