USA Warnings of hurricane "Milton" become more dramatic

Those who stay will die, warns a mayor in Florida. The people there are preparing for the arrival of Hurricane Milton. Despite recent weakening, it is an "extremely serious threat".

Another dangerous hurricane is heading for Florida. Meanwhile, the warnings to the population are becoming increasingly alarming: "I can say without any dramatization: if you choose to stay in one of the evacuation areas, you will die," said the mayor of the city of Tampa, Jane Castor, on CNN. In several parts of the US state, people have been asked to move to safety. In some cases, the hard shoulders have been opened up as lanes on the roads.

During the night, "Milton" weakened slightly off the west coast of Florida in the Gulf of Mexico. The US hurricane center downgraded it to the second-highest category 4 with wind speeds of up to 250 kilometers per hour. The storm continues to pose an "extremely serious threat to Florida", it said. On Wednesday, "Milton" is expected to make landfall on the west coast of Florida. According to CNN, wind speeds may change repeatedly until then. According to the hurricane center, the storm will pass the Mexican peninsula of Yucatán before then. "Destructive waves" are possible on parts of the coast there.

Preparations in Florida

In Tampa, meanwhile, people are preparing for the storm. Hundreds of ambulances are ready to evacuate hospitals and nursing homes, the Washington Post newspaper quoted the state's disaster control department as saying. Many elderly people live in the region, making the situation more difficult. A zoo in Tampa and the aquarium are also preparing for the storm, according to CNN. Corals are to be housed in other aquariums, while animal shelters are currently being secured at the zoo.

It was only around a week and a half ago that Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida, causing deaths and damage. "Helene" was a "wake-up call", said Mayor Castor according to CNN. But the potential threat from Hurricane Milton was "literally catastrophic", she added. According to US media, "Milton" is one of the strongest hurricanes in the history of the Atlantic hurricane season.