The hurricane Milton turns out to be more virulent than expected. Now category 5, the highest rating, the hurricane is of great concern to Quebecers in Florida contacted by The Press. “It’s a nightmare. »
What you need to know
- Initially classified as category 3, the hurricane Milton would ultimately be category 5, the highest level.
- Milton leaves the Gulf of Mexico. Florida is expected to be the only US state affected.
- Florida expected to see its largest evacuations since the hurricane Irma, in 2017.
- The United States is barely recovering from the passage of Helenecausing the deaths of nearly 230 Americans.
Monday morning, Milton was a Category 4 storm, with winds of 250 km/h over the southern Gulf of Mexico. The system is expected to weaken slightly before making landfall. Florida is expected to be the only state affected, according to forecasts from the US Hurricane Center.
The hurricane will reach the United States two weeks later Helenewhose passage caused 230 deaths. Faced with this recent tragedy, the citizens of Naples, 265 kilometers from Tampa, are “very worried,” notes Quebecer Jacques Julien, who has lived in the region for 37 years.
“We see that citizens have resilience, discipline. When it comes, they are used to listening to instructions very seriously. »
For more than 25 years, Mr. Julien lived near the water. Two major floods in the area in which he lived pushed him to move 10 kilometers further inland. The hurricane Helene came to confirm that he had made the right decision. “There is still plenty of furniture in the street that the authorities have not had time to collect, which will still be found floating afterwards Milton. It’s a nightmare,” he comments.
PHOTO OCTAVIO JONES, REUTERS
Debris left by the hurricane Helene crowded a street in St. Pete, Florida, on Monday before the hurricane arrived Milton.
In 2017, the hurricane Irma caused the deaths of three people and forced the evacuation of approximately 7 million residents. The sudden exodus had blocked highways and caused major wait times at gas stations.
Audrey Foy, a Quebecer living in Fort Lauderdale since 2006, remembers it well. “It was scary,” she says. There were trees falling, a lot of windy rain. We did well, lacking electricity for just one day. But after experiencing this, we make sure we are well informed to understand how it will affect us Milton. »
In Fort Lauderdale, several elementary schools will close their doors during the days of Wednesday and Thursday, to accommodate residents from regions that will be hard hit by Milton. Although Fort Lauderdale should be spared the most severe repercussions of Miltonresidents are preparing for the worst.
“People are starting to panic,” observes M.me Faith. There are no more generators for sale in stores. People fill their cars with supplies, like propane tanks, in case they run out of power. »
M’s familyme Foy had already benefited from sand pockets offered free of charge by the city to protect its patio door from potential flooding.
About fifteen kilometers to the south, Nancy Côté and Jean-Guy Slevan are attentively following the most recent developments from their boat. “We have been spending our winters in our boat for several years, but we never get used to this type of situation,” comments Mme Side.
NOAA IMAGE, PROVIDED BY REUTERS
This satellite image shows the hurricane Milton which intensifies before its arrival in Florida, scheduled for mid-week.
The couple fears that the rising water level will damage their boat. “The moorings could be too tight, so we monitor the situation closely to be sure that nothing bad happens,” explains Jean-Guy Slevan.
A storm surge of 8 to 12 feet could reach Tampa Bay, along with an accumulation of 5 to 10 inches of rain in Florida.
Florida will be affected by Miltonbluntly assured the governor of the state, Ron DeSantis. “I don’t think there’s a scenario where we don’t have major impacts at this point,” he said.
Under the circumstances, the governor asked residents to be prepared in the event of power outages, and to have a week’s supply of food and water.
Florida will see its largest evacuation since the hurricane Irmapredicts the general director of the state’s Emergency Management division, Kevin Guthrie.