Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — The state of Florida has once again declared a state of emergency for several regions on Sunday, October 6, as residents brace for Hurricane Milton. Still recovering from the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which recently battered the state, Floridians now face the threat of another powerful storm.
Governor Ron DeSantis has placed 51 of the state’s 67 counties under a state of emergency, warning that Milton could bring “significant impacts.”
According to VoA, the latest update from the U.S. National Hurricane Center stated that Hurricane Milton is moving toward the coast with wind speeds of 100 mph (161 kilometer per hour). The storm rapidly strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane on Monday, as it approaches densely populated areas like Tampa and Orlando, with dangerous storm surges threatening Tampa Bay.
Milton is projected to maintain its current strength over the next several days, potentially triggering mass evacuations. The storm is currently moving north from the Yucatán Peninsula and is expected to cross the southern Gulf of Mexico on Monday and Tuesday before making landfall on Florida’s western coast by Wednesday onwards.
With the new storm warnings, survivors of Hurricane Helene along Florida’s coastline have been ordered to evacuate once again. Authorities are urging residents to heed evacuation orders as another catastrophic storm bears down on the state.
Meanwhile, rescue teams in the area are still searching for survivors of Hurricane Helene, which claimed hundreds of lives across several southern states. As of Sunday, October 6, the death toll from Helene has risen to at least 227 people across six states, according to reports from CNN.
Death Toll from Hurricane Helene Rises to 130 across Southeastern U.S.
Helene struck the U.S. as a powerful Category 4 storm on September 26, causing widespread destruction as it moved from Florida northward. The storm brought torrential rains that triggered flooding, submerging homes, destroying roads, and leaving millions without power or cell service.
Helene is now considered the deadliest hurricane to hit the U.S. since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. More than half of the fatalities occurred in North Carolina, while dozens more were reported in Georgia and South Carolina.
As Florida continues to recover from Helene’s devastation, residents now brace for the arrival of Hurricane Milton, another Category 4 storm with destructive potential. The state, already reeling from one disaster, must now confront the impending threat of another.
(Raidi/Agung)
