Hurricane forecasters in the US are ringing the alarm about Hurricane Milton. The storm rapidly strengthened to a Category 5 super typhoon on October 7, just one day after officially becoming a Category 1 hurricane.
The latest hurricane information from the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said that Hurricane Milton is expected to "increase in size and remain an extremely dangerous storm when it approaches the west coast of Florida on October 9."
The Hill's hurricane report says there are many reasons why hurricane forecasters are frightened by Milton.
The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) pointed out that Milton became a hurricane on October 6 and quickly strengthened to a Category 5 super typhoon on October 7. Rapid intensification, as defined by the NHC, is an increase in sustained wind speeds of at least 30 knots per 24 hours, equivalent to 56 km/h.
This storm is an illustration of how quickly the storm intensified: Going to bed during a normal typhoon and waking up in a monotonous Category 5 storm with winds of 260 km/h, said CNN weather forecaster Elisa Raffa.
"It's really unusual and scary. This is a trend that occurs when the oceans retain heat and fuel storms to strengthen," Raffa noted.
Recognizing the rapid intensification of Hurricane Milton, the nonprofit scientific organization Climate Central said that the rising ocean temperatures due to climate change are fueling stronger tropical storms. The organization noted that Hurricane Milton moved across the western Gulf of Mexico, where the water level was unusually warm.
In its hurricane forecast, the NHC said Milton poses an extreme threat to Florida residents.
A major storm destroyed a large area along parts of Floridas west coast on October 9. This is an extremely life-threatening situation and residents in those areas should follow the advice of local authorities and evacuate immediately if instructed, the NHC warned.
In addition to the major storm, the NHC warned of the possibility of severe winds along parts of Florida's west coast, along with heavy rain directly related to Hurricane Milton from Oct. 8-9.
This rainfall will cause the risk of flash flooding, urban flooding and widespread flooding, along with the possibility of moderate to major flooding on the river, the NHC added.
Bryan Bennett, a Tampa-area weather forecaster, warned that Hurricane Milton could be our Katrina, a catastrophic storm that devastated New Orleans in 2005. When Hurricane Milton makes landfall in Florida, sustainable winds will be at 200 km/h, with gusts of up to 250 km/h.
