Hurricane Milton approaches Florida, U.S., may cause huge damage; Biden postpones foreign visit_1

On October 9, reports from various media outlets indicated that Hurricane Milton is poised to make landfall in Florida. In light of this, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared a public health emergency for the state on the evening of October 8. President Biden has since postponed trips to Germany and Angola to ensure effective response to the hurricane.

According to a statement on the White House’s official website, the declaration aims to mitigate the health hazards associated with Hurricane Milton. Notably, this marks Florida’s second public health emergency announcement in just two weeks, reflecting the increasing severity of the storm season.

Initially a tropical storm, Hurricane Milton intensified to a Category 5 hurricane on October 7 before being downgraded to a Category 4 the next day and then rapidly upgraded back to Category 5. The National Hurricane Center has warned that Milton could potentially become the “most destructive” hurricane recorded in Florida’s west-central region.

As reported by the Associated Press, Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall in the Tampa Bay area on the night of October 9. Residents across various parts of Florida have been ordered to evacuate, leading to significant traffic congestion in northbound and eastbound directions. The Florida Highway Patrol has been actively escorting fuel tankers to support gasoline distribution.

ABC News has also highlighted data from the fuel tracking platform GasBuddy, revealing that by the afternoon of October 8, 17.4% of gas stations in Florida had run out of fuel, a consequence of the mass evacuations. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis confirmed that state troopers are assisting in the refueling efforts at gas stations.

As Hurricane Milton approaches, the travel chaos continues, with over 700 flights canceled across the U.S. on October 8 and an additional 1,500 on October 9. Several international airports are anticipating closures.

In the wake of these developments, President Biden had already declared a state of emergency for Florida. The White House confirmed his decision to cancel plans for his upcoming visits to Germany and Angola, choosing instead to prioritize the response to Hurricane Milton.

Speaking to reporters, Biden stated, “This might be one of the most severe storms Florida has faced in over a century. While we hope for the best, we must confront this reality.” He urged residents in affected areas to “evacuate as soon as possible,” underscoring the gravity of the situation. At the same time, he noted that the federal government is continuing to provide aid to states affected by Hurricane Helen, which made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 hurricane on September 26 and subsequently impacted Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee, resulting in over 230 fatalities.