By Fiona Espinoza-Castro
Staff Writer
During the span of 13 days, Florida faced two deadly hurricanes back to back. Both Helene and Milton left irreversible damage to infrastructure and Floridians. Hurricane Milton made landfall on Oct 9. as a Category 3 hurricane after being downgraded from a Category 5. In anticipation of the disaster, Florida officials declared a state of emergency for 5.9 million individuals in 11 counties, according to Al Jazeera.
The Weather Prediction Center warned citizens about catastrophic flash flooding and rising sea levels, Al Jazeera reported. President Joe Biden insisted that Milton would be a horrific storm.
“I’ve encouraged everyone currently located in Hurricane Milton’s path to listen to local officials and follow the safety instructions,” Biden said.
Floridians had made sure to collect supplies, including non-perishable foods, water, a two-week supply of medications, batteries and more, before Milton’s arrival, according to PBS. The recommended rule was to carry one gallon of water per day for every person for seven days to ensure longevity. Several hospitals and hurricane shelters were also protected by barriers prior to the storm.
According to PBS, emergency managers also let owners know that animals should not be left at home if they are in evacuation zones. Residents were told to turn off gas, electricity and water in their homes. Electric cars should have been placed in elevated locations to prevent fires caused by flooding and storm surges.
During the storm, Milton reached winds up to 120 miles per hour near Siesta Key on Florida’s west coast. Due to the force of the storm, neighborhoods flooded, and electricity and cellular connections were lost, according to the New York Times.
More than 120 homes were destroyed by Hurricane Milton, while others remained untouched. Milton’s damage varied across counties in the state. The New York Times reported that the Tampa Bay region did not experience the expected storm surge, but the Gulf Coast area still received 18 inches of rain.
Meanwhile, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis confirmed that at least 19 tornadoes also hit Florida on Oct. 9, hitting the Everglades wetlands and the state highway system, Interstate 75. Along with this, 125 homes — primarily in mobile and senior citizen communities, were destroyed, leaving citizens in vulnerable positions as they fought for their lives, Al Jazeera reported.
Katelyn Ferral, a Tampa Bay resident of two years, moved to Florida after her fiance began a new job. They settled in the town of Lutz, Florida, which was not given an evacuation order before the hurricane, so they stayed, according to the New York Times.
“I made preparations in anticipation of losing power: froze water bottles, filled bathtubs, charged batteries and moved everything out of the yard that could become a projectile in the wind,” said Ferral. When the hurricane reached their town, there was no thunder or ruckus—it seemed like a simple rainstorm. However, once Ferral awoke, things took a turn for the worse.
Ferral remembers seeing an oak tree smashed against their house, their driveway ruined, and a section of their roof missing. Their house suffered the most damage out of all of their neighbors. Despite the catastrophic event, the community members of Lutz rallied together to help.
“I noticed the sound of generators in the neighborhood like everyone cutting their grass at the same time. It is a distant, rhythmic hum, and it reminded me that we were all going through something together,” recalled Ferral. This showed how disaster can bring unexpected unity as individuals form and deepen their relationships. “Picking up tree limbs. Learning names. Managing without power. For the first time, I felt bonded to the community.”
In the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, DeSantis pooled support for the state. DeSantis stated, “We did not get the worst-case scenario but we did get hit, and we’re going to bounce back.”
The governor deployed 9,000 National Guard personnel and 50,000 electricity grid workers to assist in recovery efforts, reported Al Jazeera.
Florida has also received approval for federal disaster relief by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This includes both individual assistance and Public Assistance, according to Ron DeSantis’ page.
Individual assistance included residents and households in areas such as Charlotte, Glades, Hardee or St. Johns. Public assistance included emergency work and the replacement of damaged facilities. This assistance included counties like Brevard, Hendry, Highlands, Putnam and more.
Though the damage was severe, Floridians remain resilient and plan to rebuild and move forward with their lives after these destructive 13 days.
