Hurricane Milton
Updated: Wikipedia source
Hurricane Milton was an extremely powerful and destructive tropical cyclone which became the most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded over the Gulf of Mexico, tying with Hurricane Rita in 2005. Milton significantly impacted the west coast of the U.S. state of Florida, less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene devastated the state's Big Bend region; further exacerbating damage and hindering clean-up efforts in previously affected regions. The thirteenth named storm, ninth hurricane, fourth major hurricane, and second Category 5 hurricane of the extremely active 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, Milton was the strongest tropical cyclone to occur worldwide in 2024. The hurricane also spawned a deadly tornado outbreak in one of the most intense tropical cyclone-produced outbreaks recorded. Total damages as a result of Milton were estimated to be $34.3 billion (2024 USD), making it the ninth-costliest Atlantic hurricane on record. Milton formed from a complex of factors, beginning with a long-tracked tropical wave that moved off the coast of Africa in mid-September 2024. After reaching the western Caribbean Sea and interacting with a broad Central American gyre, it then consolidated in the Bay of Campeche and became a tropical depression on October 5, becoming a tropical storm shortly after. Gradual intensification occurred as it slowly moved eastward, becoming a hurricane early on October 7. Later that day, Milton underwent explosive intensification and became a Category 5 hurricane with winds of 180 mph (285 km/h). At peak intensity, it had a pressure of 895 millibars (26.43 inHg), making it, at the time, the fourth-most intense Atlantic hurricane on record, tying the pressure record in the Gulf of Mexico with Rita in 2005. Milton weakened to a Category 4 hurricane after an eyewall replacement cycle and reintensified into a Category 5 hurricane the following day. Increasing wind shear caused the hurricane to weaken as it turned northeast towards Florida, falling to Category 3 status before making landfall near Siesta Key late on October 9. Afterwards, Milton rapidly weakened as it moved across the state into the Atlantic Ocean. It became extratropical on October 10 as it became embedded within a frontal zone. The remnants gradually weakened and passed near the island of Bermuda before becoming indistinguishable and dissipating on October 12. The hurricane killed a total of 45 people: 42 in the United States, and 3 in Mexico as Milton passed north of there, where preparations were taken due to its close proximity. Damage caused in Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula wasn't as severe, with flooding and heavy rainfall being the primary impacts. Ahead of the Milton, Florida declared a state of emergency in which many coastal residents were ordered to evacuate. Cleanup efforts from Helene over a week prior were affected in order to ensure the safety of citizens. Milton brought a major storm surge of up to 10 ft (120 in) to areas just to the south of the Tampa Bay, including Siesta Key; due to the southward track, the Tampa metropolitan area avoided a worst-case scenario, and instead observed a reverse storm surge. High wind gusts and very heavy rainfall caused significant flooding and infrastructural damage across central Florida, particularly near Tampa and around the point of landfall, where most damage from Milton occurred. In the aftermath of the storm, partially as a result of the proximity to the 2024 United States presidential election in November and clean-up efforts from Helene, misinformation spread across affected communities about the nature of the storms and about rescue operations conducted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).