The storm could be the worst in 100 years!

On October 8 (local time), US President Joe Biden announced that he would cancel his previously scheduled trip to Germany and Angola this week, to stay and monitor the progress of super typhoon Milton.

President Joe Biden speaks about the federal government's response to Hurricane Helene and preparations for Hurricane Milton at the White House on October 8. (Source: AP)

“Milton could be the worst storm in 100 years. I just don’t think I can leave the United States at this point,” Biden told US reporters, adding that he was directing an increase in the size and level of the federal government’s presence in response to the storm.

The US President still announced that he will arrange a suitable time to visit Africa and Germany during the short remaining time of his term, but the specific time frame is currently unclear.

According to CNN , the German government issued a statement regretting Mr. Biden's postponement of his visit, but understanding the US President's decision in the face of Hurricane Milton making landfall in Florida.

Early on October 8 (US time), Hurricane Milton was downgraded from level 5 to level 4 on the 5-level warning scale, when it was still about 840 km southwest of Tampa, Florida. However, by the afternoon of the same day, this super storm had strengthened again while moving into the western coastal area of ​​Florida.

As of 4:00 p.m. on October 8, Florida time (3:00 a.m. on October 9, Vietnam time), the center of Hurricane Milton was about 775 km southwest of Tampa, with maximum winds of more than 260 km/h and moving at a speed of 15 km/h to the East-Northeast.

Milton is expected to make landfall on the west coast of Florida on the night of October 8 or early on October 9 local time. Sea levels in many areas of Tampa Bay are forecast to rise 3-4.5m while many places will receive more than 250mm of rain and the risk of serious flash flooding.

Five million people in Florida have been told to evacuate for safety. More than 20 counties in the state have issued mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders.

About 5,000 National Guard members have also been deployed to respond to the storm while another 3,000 members are ready to participate in disaster recovery efforts.

According to the World Meteorological Organization, Milton is the most intense storm ever recorded in October, after the Atlantic hurricane season. Thanks to warm ocean currents in the Gulf of Mexico, Milton had the third fastest intensification in the Atlantic region, transforming from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane in less than 24 hours.

On October 8, the super storm swept through the Mexican state of Yucatan, causing some limited damage and leaving many areas without power. Some transportation routes in southern Cuba were also flooded due to the storm's impact.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/bi-sieu-quai-vat-milton-cam-chan-tong-thong-my-huy-cong-du-duc-va-angola-cam-than-con-bao-co-the-toi-te-nhat-100-nam-qua-289357.html