Fifty-one Florida counties are under a state of emergency ahead of Hurricane Milton, a Category 5 superstorm that hits the state's west coast.
“It quickly became a hurricane,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said during a morning update at the state Emergency Operations Center.
“And not only is it a hurricane, it's already a major hurricane, it's currently a Category 4 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 150 miles per hour, and it hit the west coast of Florida between Wednesday evening and 2 p.m. It's expected to make landfall, possibly even quite early on Thursday,'' DeSantis said in a morning update, noting that the storm was moving slower than originally expected.
“If this continues, we'll be pushed back when we land. Of course, you can see the impact before the eyewall lands. We requested assistance from FEMA before declaring landfall, and we're looking forward to We look forward to approval,” he said, noting that 51 counties in the Sunshine State are under a state of emergency. They include:
Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Glades, Hamilton, Hardy, Hendry, Hernando, Highland, Hillsboro, Indian River, Lake Lafayette, Lee, Levy, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. John's, St. Lucie, Sumter, Suwanee, Taylor, Union, Volusia.
DeSantis added that the executive order he signed over the weekend “orders all disaster debris management facilities and landfills to operate 24/7 in preparation for Hurricane Milton.”
“There was a lot of debris left on the Florida Gulf Coast from Hurricane Helen, which would pose a significant risk if a major hurricane were to hit the area this week. That's why we are making sure we have the nation's assets ready to support that mission.” We have rallied and will continue to do so until it is no longer safe,” he said.
That came to fruition on Sunday when authorities tore open the gate to the landfill, which had been closed as people continued their cleanup efforts ahead of Milton.
“One of the gates was locked. No one was on duty, so there was a huge line of cars to take the debris down, which is a good thing. So the Florida Highway Patrol basically “They took matters into their own hands and tied ropes to several pickup trucks leading up to the gate, then smashed it open,” DeSantis said.
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“We don't have time for bureaucracy and red tape,” he added. we have to get the job done. ”
Hurricane Milton has now intensified into a Category 5 storm.
