The hurricane could make landfall on Wednesday in the Tampa Bay area of Florida and continue to remain a hurricane as it moves across central Florida…reports Asian Lite News
Florida, which continues to reel under the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene, is now readying to brace Hurricane Milton’s impact as it churns towards the coast of Florida, Al Jazeera reported.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) of the US, stated that Milton had intensified into a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 130 km per hour and is expected to “become a major hurricane on Monday,” the NHC said.
The hurricane could make landfall on Wednesday in the Tampa Bay area of Florida and continue to remain a hurricane as it moves across central Florida, forecasters said.
Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis said that while it remains unclear where exactly Milton will strike, it was clear that Florida would be hit hard. He urged Florida residents to ensure they have a “hurricane preparedness plan” in place.
In a public briefing, DeSantis said that ensuring that displaced Floridians have a place to stay following Hurricane Helene is a top priority. In addition to providing travel trailers for temporary housing, more flexibility on regulations pertaining to rentals will help meet Floridians’ needs. There’s no time for bureaucracy when it comes to helping people get back on their feet following a catastrophic storm.
He also said, “We are closely monitoring Tropical Storm Milton, which has the potential to become a major hurricane. We’ve mobilised state assets to supplement local governments in an unprecedented debris removal mission for areas that suffered damage from Hurricane Helene and are currently in the projected path of Milton.
The Florida government has launched a page on the social media platform X, by the name @FLSERT, to share important storm preparedness information and updates.
In a press briefing released by the White House on Sunday, President Joe Biden said, “I have been briefed on Tropical Storm Milton as it strengthens across the Gulf of Mexico and the work my administration is doing to preposition life-saving resources in advance of the storm. I urge all residents in Florida to listen to local officials and make preparations as needed.”
Kevin Guthrie, the executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, said the agency was preparing “for the largest evacuation that we have seen, most likely since [the] 2017 Hurricane Irma,” Al Jazeera noted.
The United States of America has a disaster response plan in place called the Federal government, led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which responds at the request and in support of those impacted by a disaster.
The head of FEMA, Deanne Criswell, in a post on the social media platform X said that the FEMA is prepared to support Floridians in Hurricane Helene’s response efforts & prepared for the possible threat of Hurricane Milton.
The St Petersburg-Tampa Bay area is still cleaning up extensive damage from Helene and its powerful storm surge.
UN’s senior advisor for climate change, Selwin Hart noted that “climate and weather-related disasters have increased sixfold over the past five decades” for the USA, the Caribbean, and central American countries.
According to the Climate Action Tracker, the US has been unable to meet its targets, such as bringing down emissions and achieving the goal of net zero emissions.
This becomes a leading cause accelerating climate change’s impacts in the country. (ANI)
Europa Clipper mission delayed
NASA’s Europa Clipper mission that aims to search for life on Jupiter’s icy moon Europa has been stalled due to hurricane Milton, expected to pose “life-threatening hazards” for parts of Florida in the US, the space agency informed on Monday.
Europa Clipper was set to launch its first mission to conduct a detailed science investigation of Jupiter’s icy moon Europa aboard SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket from NASA Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A in Florida on October 10.
Even as hurricane Milton barrels towards the already-ravaged Gulf Coast, a state of emergency has been declared in parts of Florida, delaying the mission.
“NASA and SpaceX are standing down from the October 10 launch attempt of the agency’s Europa Clipper mission due to anticipated hurricane conditions in the area,” NASA said in a post on social media platform X.
“Once the storm passes, recovery teams will assess the safety of the spaceport and the launch processing facilities for damage before personnel return to work,” it added.
While NASA has not confirmed a new launch date, the launch window is open till November 6, the US space agency said.
“The safety of launch team personnel is our highest priority, and all precautions will be taken to protect the Europa Clipper spacecraft,” said Tim Dunn, senior launch director at NASA’s Launch Services Programme, in a blog post.
On October 4, the Europa Clipper spacecraft was transported from the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket in the hangar as part of final launch preparations ahead of launch.
Europa Clipper is slated to travel 2.6 billion kilometers to reach the Jupiter system, where it will arrive in 2030.
Meanwhile, hurricane Milton is expected to move from the Gulf of Mexico this week moving east to the Space Coast. High winds and heavy rain are expected in the Cape Canaveral and Merritt Island regions on Florida’s east coast.
It had intensified into a Category 1 hurricane on Sunday. It comes just 10 days after Storm Helene — the deadliest mainland storm since Katrina in 2005 — which tore through the southeast, killing at least 225 people, with hundreds still missing.
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