Hurricane Milton was one of the strongest hurricanes on the Atlantic on record, jumping from a category 2 to a category 5, and reaching about 180 miles per hour at its peak. Hurricane Helene swept across Florida recently leaving a trail of wreckage and debris that only worsened the effect on homes that Hurricane Milton had. Many people chose to board up their windows to prevent even more wreckage from breaking through the windows. Milton guaranteed total destruction from Tampa, to Sebastian, calling for evacuation throughout with the mayor stating that the people who do not evacuate will die. People who were unable to evacuate were recommended to write their names and phone numbers onto their arms with sharpies to identify their bodies after the storm. Evacuation would be expensive, and required at least six hours of driving, with breakdown lanes on the highway to improve flow of traffic. Many people were unable to evacuate because of how difficult and expensive it would be, and chose to remain in their homes, or seek shelter elsewhere.
Milton began in the Gulf of Mexico, quickly intensifying, and as the storm approached, the storm surge reached about five to six feet, with winds intensifying. The storm made landfall near Siesta Key when it was about a category three, bringing with it many dangers. There were flash floods in the region, torrential rains reaching up to 15 inches, and many reports of tornados. The hurricane moved across Florida between the 9th and the 10th of October, and moved back into the Atlantic on the morning of the 10th. The hurricane left chaos in its wake, with about 3 million homes losing power throughout and about 24 confirmed deaths. The water level stayed about five feet higher than usual, leaving many homes destroyed. The flooding also left many people stranded, requiring rescue from the Coast Guard. Recovery has already begun in Florida, with money being raised nationwide for the wreckage and for families who are struggling. The hurricane not only left physical destruction but led to the destruction of many local businesses in the area, forcing some of them to close permanently. The road to recovery will take time, but communities will rebuild themselves, and the hurricane can be used as a reminder of not only the widespread destruction caused by natural disasters both physically and societally, but also of the possible dangers of future storms posed by climate change.
