US prepares to deal with strongest storm in over 100 years

Hurricane Milton has stunned meteorologists by growing from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane in just two days. The storm is expected to make landfall near Tampa late on October 9 (local time).

“This could be the most destructive hurricane to hit Florida in more than a century,” President Joe Biden told reporters on October 8.

Governor Ron DeSantis urged Floridians to take the storm seriously, warning that time to safely evacuate is running out.

“If you’re going to leave, leave now,” he said. “Almost the entire west coast of Florida could be hit by a major storm surge.”

Hurricane Milton is "definitely going to cause casualties," Sarasota Mayor Liz Alpert told NBC News. "People need to evacuate."

Parts of Florida are still dealing with the damage caused by Category 4 Hurricane Helene less than two weeks ago. Helene made landfall in the Big Bend area near the state capital of Tallahassee before causing major flooding in Georgia and the Carolinas.

But according to meteorologists, Milton was a much stronger storm, with wind gusts of over 320 km/h and an unprecedented number of "lightning strikes".

Not only are residents being evacuated to the northern and southern parts of the state, but the Florida Aquarium in Tampa has moved its penguins, snakes, lizards, alligators, turtles, toads and crabs to higher ground to avoid flooding. Meanwhile, the Department of Corrections has evacuated 4,636 inmates from prisons in the storm’s path.

Walt Disney World and Universal Studios theme parks have also announced closures ahead of the storm, as the storm's path is expected to pass through Orlando.

More than 1,500 flights into and out of Florida were canceled on October 9. Tampa International Airport was closed on October 8, while Orlando International Airport announced it would cease operations on the morning of October 9.