Hurricane Milton: Florida braces for 160mph winds as approaching ...
Florida is bracing for winds of up to 160mph as people continue to evacuate ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Milton.
The storm has the "potential to be one of the most destructive hurricanes" the area has seen when it makes landfall in the coming hours, according to the US National Hurricane Center.
Some residents have insisted they will stay after millions were ordered to evacuate, while President Joe Biden has described Hurricane Milton as "literally a matter of life and death."
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Mr Biden postponed an upcoming trip to Germany and Angola in order to oversee preparations for the storm - in addition to the ongoing response to the earlier Hurricane Helene.
Hurricane Milton had been a Category 5 hurricane during much of its approach and despite a recent downgrading to Category 3 it remains "major and strong", Florida governor Ron DeSantis said.
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Late changes of direction put areas around Sarasota in the storm's path. It had originally been forecast to hit Tampa, slightly to the north.
As of 10.30pm UK time, Hurricane Milton was around 170 miles (275km) southwest of Orlando, Florida, with maximum sustained winds of 120mph.
Heavy rain is already lashing many communities, with conditions expected to rapidly deteriorate in the coming hours as Hurricane Milton makes landfall.
A tornado crossed the Interstate 75 - a major highway which runs through Florida - according to the National Weather Service.
Image: The projected path of Hurricane Milton
Experts warned more tornadoes were likely across parts of central and southern Florida, along with the risk of catastrophic and life-threatening flash flooding.
Forecasters warned the storm could bring eight to 12ft (2.44-3.66m) storm surges, leading to further possible evacuation orders being issued along the Gulf Coast.
Eleven counties in Florida have issued mandatory evacuation orders with up to nearly six million people said to be in the potential path of the storm.
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'We haven't seen a storm like this'
Pasco County is located on Florida's west coast and its director of emergency management Andrew Fossa echoed the warnings from other officials.
"I hate to say it like this - Pasco County's going to get a black eye from this one," he said.
"We haven't seen a storm like this in a lifetime."
Image: Heavy rainfall in Orlando. Pic: Reuters
Image: Protective barriers surround Tampa General Hospital. Pic: Reuters
Tampa mayor Jane Castor said up to 15ft (4.6m) of storm surge being forecast for her city would be deep enough to swallow an entire house.
"So if you're in it, basically that's the coffin that you're in," she warned.
Image: People board up businesses in Fort Myers, Florida. Pic: Reuters
Image: Hurricane Milton as seen from the International Space Station. Pic: NASA/Reuters
A lengthy line of vehicles has been heading north as residents moved to safer areas, while hundreds of flights have been cancelled, with many more expected to be grounded.
The famous Sunshine Skyway Bridge, spanning the mouth of Tampa Bay, has been shut in the face of Hurricane Milton's approach.
'We'll just hang... tough it out'
In Riverview, south of Tampa, several drivers waiting in a long line for fuel said they had no plans to evacuate.
"I think we'll just hang, you know - tough it out," said Martin Oakes, of nearby Apollo Beach.
"We got shutters up. The house is all ready. So this is sort of the last piece of the puzzle."
Image: The Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Pic: AP
Parts of Mexico and Cuba also felt the impact of Hurricane Milton on its approach, with the state of Georgia possibly facing wind and storm surge damage over the coming hours.
The storm is expected to retain hurricane strength as it crosses central Florida on Thursday on a path east toward the Atlantic Ocean.
'Onslaught of lies'
Misinformation and disinformation were both issues ahead of the landfall and President Biden hit out at Donald Trump, accusing him of leading an "onslaught of lies".
Image: President Joe Biden during preparations for the landfall of Hurricane Milton. Pic: Reuters
Both Biden and vice president Kamala Harris denounced misinformation and disinformation surrounding the government's response to last month's Hurricane Helene, including the false assertion that there is a cap on assistance funding families can receive.
They also denounced the false claim that funding was being diverted away from Republican-heavy areas and to migrants and that federal authorities offering aid could eventually steal property from its owners.
Republican representative Chuck Edwards, whose North Carolina district was hit hard by Hurricane Helene, called out "outrageous rumours" spread by "untrustworthy sources trying to spark chaos."
'Hurricane fatigue' has become a thing, over time. Just not this time
As if it didn’t feel 'ghost town' enough, our drive through the abandoned streets around the Tampa Bay took us past a skeleton strapped to a balcony railing.
It was a nod to Halloween, of course, but was entirely in keeping with the eerie nothingness of deserted streets.
Floridians know a thing or two about hurricanes, to the extent that 'hurricane fatigue' has become a thing, over time. Just not this time.
They read and heed the warnings of a hurricane far stronger than they're used to and have followed the official advice to evacuate.
Everywhere you see evidence of a state that knows the drill. Windows are boarded up, cars are propped up on driveways to raise them above flood water level.
For the same reason, cars are left parked on raised bridges and I counted a golf cart among them - it wouldn't be Florida without one.
What traffic there was consisted of truck drivers offered a couple of hundred dollars, and a police escort, to transport debris lying on the ground in the wake of Hurricane Helene. It is debris that could become projectiles as the wind picks up.
Adding to the spooky air, a police car tours empty streets with a loud hailer message warning of looming danger. It is a warning that's been heard by people here - evident in the amount of property lying empty.
Absenteeism is to be encouraged in the panhandle state over the next 24 hours.
Meanwhile, there were fears for the safety of hundreds of thousands of immigrants in the area who fully or partly don't speak English.
The language barrier and lack of resources were already a struggle for Spanish-speaking, and a smaller number of African, immigrants.
However, Hurricane Milton has turned it into a matter of life and death.
Image: A man walks as Hurricane Milton approaches, in Lakeland, Florida. Pic: Reuters
"In situations like a hurricane that are emergencies, it is not easy to find information in Spanish," said Jessica Ramirez, general coordinator at the Farmworker Association, which serves more than 10,000 immigrants.
Other groups have been sharing information in various languages, including through social media and WhatsApp chats, in the hopes of reaching everyone in time.
