The message to Americans in the areas most at risk is clear: "Listen to the authorities and if you have to evacuate, do it now. It's a matter of life and death." US President Joe Biden said this today, reiterating the call that local authorities have been repeating for days. The escape from coastal and most exposed areas has already begun, amid long traffic jams and empty gas stations. According to data, 5.9 million people will be forced to leave their homes . But it is unclear how many have actually already done so.

And it is precisely to the reticent that the American president addressed himself: " Milton is the storm of the century ," he said. "It could be catastrophic," echoed Kamala Harris . The mayor of Tampa Jane Castor was even more explicit: those who remain in their "one-story" homes are "basically in coffins." The biggest problem is in fact the storm surges that could reach 4.7 meters, double that caused by Helene two weeks ago. Despite the high alert, however, many fear that evacuating would mean not being able to return to their homes for a long time. Added to this is the widespread belief that all the ongoing alarm is an exaggeration.

Florida, they say, is used to hurricanes and Milton can't be that different from the others. But the authorities have no doubts: Milton is not like the others . The hurricane will probably make landfall as a category 3 or 4 and will cross the Florida peninsula which it will leave as a category 1. The potential impact will be devastating over a very large area, from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean, with torrential rains, floods, tornadoes and winds well over 200 km/h. If Milton hits Tampa directly as a category 3 or higher, the losses would be in the tens of billions, perhaps up to 75 billion. A figure that could however easily rise.

Losses from Katrina were over $100 billion, while those from Ian, which hit Florida's west coast in 2022, were in the order of $50 billion. There are still many free places in the structures set up to take shelter, and authorities have urged those who decided to evacuate at the last minute to get there quickly, also because time is running out. In fact, in several areas there is a curfew and therefore the window to escape is very narrow. In Tampa, despite the pouring rain, there are still vehicles on the road even though all the shops and businesses are closed.

Several prisons have refused to evacuate their inmates. Manatee State Prison, which is in a mandatory evacuation area, said no one inside the facility will move. Milton will be a “massive blow” to Florida. Governor Ron DeSantis has already made it clear: “We are preparing for the worst, even though there is hope that it will weaken before it makes landfall, we believe that the hurricane will have a powerful impact and cause a tremendous amount of damage.”

(Online Union)

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