Cleon Dixon, a store owner in Sarasota, Florida, was organizing her store when a flood, caused by Hurricane Helene, swept through the area. Still recovering from the devastation, she, like many others, now faces another looming disaster: Hurricane Milton. Meteorologists have warned that Milton could bring even more destruction to Florida. John Morales, a meteorologist for Miami’s NBC affiliate, became emotional on air, urging people to prepare for what could be an overwhelming storm, according to MSNBC News.
In September 2024, Morales published a report in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists writing that Hurricane Helene’s growth and destruction wasn’t exaggerated, but a “harbinger of the future.” That gloomy future has already cast a shadow over his city in the form of the upcoming Hurricane Milton. His previous attempts to warn people of a cataclysmic storm were mocked by experts, but now that the threat hovers above everyone’s heads, Morales is profoundly devastated by it.
Milton is currently moving east from Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, expected to make landfall between October 9 and 10 along Florida’s west coast, likely in the Tampa Bay Area. It’s expected to be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida, per NBC News. “It’s just an incredible, incredible, incredible hurricane,” Morales said in the discussion. Estimating the strength of Milton, he added, “It has dropped 50 millibars in 10 hours.” He described the storm’s massive drop in air pressure with his voice wavering, and then tears started pouring from his eyes. “Umm, I apologize,” he said, “This is just horrific.”
Morales explained that record-high temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico are fueling the storm. “Maximum sustained winds are 160 mph. And it is just gaining strength in the Gulf of Mexico where the winds — I mean, the seas, are just so, incredibly, incredibly hot. Record hot, as you might imagine,” he said, and added, “Even though it is expected to weaken on approach, it is so incredibly strong right now that you’re going to find it very difficult for it to be nothing less than a major hurricane when it makes landfall in Florida.”
NBC News reported that President Joe Biden has approved an emergency declaration for Florida, authorizing FEMA to coordinate disaster relief. Evacuation orders have been issued, particularly for residents in Lee, Hillsborough, and Sarasota Counties.
Addressing the cause of these increasingly catastrophic storms, Morales stated, “You know what’s driving that. I don’t need to tell you: global warming, climate change [are] leading to this and becoming an increasing threat for the Yucatan, including Merida and Progreso and other areas there.” He went on to write in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists report that it’s an urgent situation that requires quick and intelligent decision-making, since, “Extreme weather events, including hurricanes, are becoming more extreme. I must communicate the growing threats from the climate crisis come hell or high water—pun intended.”
Hurricane Milton is a developing story, and we’ll update as we learn more. Information is swiftly changing and GOOD is committed to providing the most recent and verified updates in our articles and reportage. However, considering the frequency of developments, some of the information/data in this article may have changed since the time of publication.
