CBS – Hurricane Milton’s last 36 hours have been nothing short of astonishing, as it strengthened from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane in just over a day.
Hurricane Milton has intensified rapidly in the Gulf of Mexico, becoming a “potentially catastrophic” Category 5 storm.
The storm is making its way east toward Florida and is expected to make landfall late Wednesday on the state’s Gulf Coast.
As Florida continues to recover from Hurricane Helene, as many as 15 million people are under flood watches there and 11 million are at risk for tropical tornadoes tomorrow and Wednesday. Mandatory evacuations are underway along areas of the state’s west coast.
Milton is forecast to reach peak intensity tomorrow morning then weaken to a strong Category 3 ahead of landfall.
The storm’s blisteringly fast evolution is part of a trend of rapidly intensifying storms fueled by climate change.
The term “rapid intensification” describes an increase in sustained wind speeds of at least 35 mph over a 24-hour period, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Hurricane Milton has obliterated that minimum, undergoing “extreme rapid intensification”: Its maximum sustained wind speed increased by 90 mph in roughly 25 hours, according to the nonprofit research group Climate Central.
Global warming is boosting the intensity of storms by providing the ingredients necessary for them to strengthen, including warm sea surface temperatures and high levels of moisture in the atmosphere.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is not taking calls from Vice President Kamala Harris about storm recovery just over a week after Hurricane Helene hammered parts of his state.
A source familiar with the situation said DeSantis was dodging the Democratic presidential nominee’s calls because they “seemed political,” according to an aide.
“Kamala was trying to reach out, and we didn’t answer,” the DeSantis aide told NBC News.
When asked if DeSantis had spoken to President Joe Biden, the same person said, “not to my knowledge.”
Last week, DeSantis said Biden had called him, but he was flying at the time so could not take the call.
“I highly encourage you to evacuate” if you’re in an evacuation zone, said Kevin Guthrie, executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management. “We are preparing … for the largest evacuation that we have seen, most likely since 2017, Hurricane Irma. “
As many as 4,000 National Guard troops are helping state crews to remove debris, DeSantis said.
“All available state assets … are being marshaled to help remove debris,” DeSantis said. “We’re going 24-7 … it’s all hands on deck.”
