For those who haven't seen, the East Coast has been devastated by this year's hurricane season. Where there wasn't a hurricane, there were tornadoes. After Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc, citizens had little time to clean up before Hurricane Milton hit. Instead, they had to leave their streets in rubble and settle for leaving their lives behind.
Hurricane Helene
As soon as news about Hurricane Milton's journey toward Tampa, Florida hit, panic ensued. Milton seemed to be building fast once it followed its path after Helene. People were ordered to evacuate as soon as possible before the storm hit. It was predicted to be a category 5 hurricane and maybe even stronger, and with debris still lying around from Hurricane Helene, there is no doubt that there would be even more damage. Tampa has roughly a population of 3.3 million people who aren't used to a hurricane of that proportion, which is why it was so important to get people out. Some people were forced to stay in their houses because they couldn't afford to leave or they had families they couldn't leave behind. Some decided to stay purely out of trust in God or they were too stubborn to leave their homes. There was no help after the first hurricane so supplies were already low and there wasn't enough to store up like they normally would during a regular hurricane. It seemed there was no hope for the families in Florida.
Hurricane Milton
Miraculously, the hurricane started to die down when nearing its intended target. Hurricane Milton slammed into Tampa, Florida on Wednesday, October 9th as a category 5 hurricane. Within hours, the hurricane died down from a Category 5, to a Category 3, and at the moment is at a Category 1 in some areas. It is a huge relief to people all around the state. While there was some major flooding and damaged areas as expected, it could have been a lot worse. It was expected to bring thousands of deaths with it with the power that was being predicted. While there were unfortunately a few deaths due to the storm's strong winds and water, it wasn't near what they were saying it was going to be.
Now there are people everywhere thanking God and others for prayers for the great state of Florida. It was by a miracle that this storm changed so fast. While there are still some power outages and flood waters, it is all material things that can be replaced. Many are already treading water to go find others that might need help after the storm and thankfully they are able to walk about in order to do so. Maybe those that do need help, will be able to be found easily. The battle for recovery after these storms is far from over, but maybe this dramatic shift in what was supposed to be the storm of the century is the start of a bright new outlook.
Resources
Pulver, Dinah, et al. "Hurricane Milton brings devastation across Florida; MLB stadium
damaged: Updates." Usatoday.com, 9 Oct. 2024, www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/10/09/hurricane-milton-live-updates-wednesday-florida-landfall/75579293007/. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.
Schneider, Mike, and Haven Daley. "Hurricane Milton is a Category 5. Florida Orders Evacuations and Scrambles to Clear Helene's Debris." AP News, 9 Oct. 2024,
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