Superstorm Milton devastated the state of Florida (USA), at least 4 people died

Storm Milton left at least four people dead and exacerbated the suffering caused by Hurricane Helene.

The storm moved south and made landfall late on October 9 (local time) as a category 3 storm at Siesta Key – about 112 km south of Tampa, Florida. Storm damage is widespread and water levels may continue to rise for days to come. However, the state’s Governor Ron DeSantis warned that it was not the “worst scenario”.

According to Governor DeSantis, the deadly storm dumped up to 45 centimeters of rain in some areas. The worst damage from the storm occurred in Sarasota County – where water levels rose between 2.5 meters and 3 meters

Local officials reiterated that the danger from the storm has not passed. A storm surge warning has been issued for much of the East Coast – Central Florida and north into Georgia.

Tropical storm warnings have been issued along the coast to South Carolina. Officials in hard-hit Florida counties Hillsborough, Pinellas, Sarasota and Lee urged people to stay home, warning of downed power lines, fallen trees on roads, blocked bridges and severe flooding.

According to the website poweroutage.us, the storm caused power outages across a large area of ​​Florida, with more than 3.2 million homes and businesses without power.

Fabric used to make the roof of Tropicana Stadium – home of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team in St. Petersburg, was torn apart by fierce winds. It is still unclear about the damage inside the stadium. Before the storm hit, first responders were moved away from staging areas there.

Residents of St. Petersburg was without water because a water main broke, forcing the city to shut down service. Mayor Ken Welch advised residents that power outages could be extended and sewers could become clogged.

Before making landfall, Hurricane Milton caused tornadoes in southern Florida. One tornado touched down in the sparsely populated Everglades and crossed Interstate 75. Another tornado hit Fort Myers, snapping trees and tearing through the canopy of a gas station.

St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office Lucie said the Spanish Lakes Country Club near Fort Pierce, Florida, was hit particularly hard, with many homes destroyed and at least four people killed by the tornado.

Before the storm hit, about 125 homes were destroyed, many of them mobile homes in senior living communities – said Kevin Guthrie, Director of the Emergency Management Agency the state of Florida said.

About 90 minutes after landfall, storm Milton was downgraded to a level 2 storm. By the morning of October 9, storm Milton had been downgraded to a level 1 storm on the 5-level storm scale, with the strongest winds. maintain about 150 km/h and leave the state.

The storm made landfall in an area still reeling two weeks after Hurricane Helene flooded streets and homes in western Florida, killing at least 230 people. In many places along the coast, cities raced to collect and dispose of trash before winds and Milton could blow it away and cause more serious damage.

Images of Hurricane Milton causing heavy damage in Florida, USA:

(Ảnh: AP)