Very sad to share this news. Terry Spencer and Haven Daley (AP News) report on Hurricane Milton, underlining its catastrophic potential as it fluctuates between categories 4 and 5. Here in Puerto Rico, where so many are still traumatized by the memory of Hurricane María, thousands of people are praying and sending positive thoughts, hoping that Hurricane Milton lessens its furious winds.
Steady rain fell and winds began to gust in the Tampa Bay area Wednesday morning as a mighty Hurricane Milton churned toward a potentially catastrophic collision with the west coast of Florida, where some residents insisted they would stay even after millions were ordered to evacuate. Stragglers face grim odds of surviving, officials said.
The Tampa Bay region, home to more than 3.3 million people, hasn’t seen a direct hit from a major hurricane in more than a century. Milton fluctuated between categories 4 and 5 as it approached, but regardless of the distinction in wind speeds, the National Hurricane Center said, it would be a major and extremely dangerous storm when its center makes landfall late Wednesday or early Thursday. [. . .]
“This is it, folks,” said Cathie Perkins, emergency management director in Pinellas County, which sits on the peninsula that forms Tampa Bay. “Those of you who were punched during Hurricane Helene, this is going to be a knockout. You need to get out, and you need to get out now.” [. . .]
For full article, see https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-milton-tampa-florida-08bde4b9c29460f471d43c6512821c93