(Picture from National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service)
For the last few weeks, news about hurricanes in Florida have spread throughout the internet like wildfire. Images, videos, and news have all been circulating around, and it’s caused quite a panic between many Americans for their safety and the safety of their loved ones. Hurricane Helene and its destruction were catastrophic to the states it hit: Florida, Georgia, both North and South Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee all suffered damage from the intense storm. Many thought of the storm itself as a joke, doing things like sailing on boats through flooded rivers and streets and partying. An example of this is a woman who on Instagram and Tiktok who’s named Skylar Siegfried-Anderson whose first floor flooded, her family and neighbors all hopped onto a boat and posted videos of them drinking and partying while the first floor of their home was completely flooded. There hasn’t been an update on the poster’s whereabouts or her and her family’s wellness. The exact number of the death toll is unknown as of right now, but that’s due too how many people have gone missing.
Just a few days ago, Hurricane Milton’s stopped by for part two. This hurricane was so intense that it’s being referred to as a “monster storm” by the media. The storm itself had wind speeds of over 175 miles per hour. Meteorologist Noah Bergren claimed that gusts were well over 200 miles per hour and that this is “now the 4th strongest hurricane ever recorded by pressure on this side of the world,” (Twitter). The storm itself making Miami weatherman and meteorologist John Morales get emotional on live television, due to his concern for the people in Tampa and the continuing signs of climate change. By the time people were told to evacuate this storm, all gas was gone from gas stations and flights were upwards of two thousand dollars for an in-nation flight. Sheriffs and other officials have requested people to write names, birthdays and other identifying information on their body in preparation to die. Hurricane Milton’s havoc doesn’t stop at its own wind speeds, it also created multiple violent and dangerous twisters that ravaged throughout the state. The tornadoes all appeared rapidly in succession, causing more destruction than the initial hurricane itself.
On top of this, a third potential storm is brewing in the Atlantic; well, technically a fourth as well. Hurricane Nadine is a small and not fully formed hurricane, giving it a very small window to continue growing until development on the storm stops. It’s unlikely this storm will be a hazard to Floridians, same with the previously mentioned fourth storm; tropical storm Leslie. The storm seems to be more eastbound thankfully, but meteorologists are still watching it. These two storms are less of a concern for the U.S., but it’s still something to be cautious about.
