The past few weeks have been tough for people living in the southeastern U.S. as Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton struck within weeks of each other, causing widespread destruction and setting records.
Helene formed Sept. 24, and became a Category 4 hurricane on Sept. 26. The tropical storm left over 250 dead and 206 missing, making it the deadliest to strike the US mainland since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The Hill reported that the damage from Helene could total over $160 billion.
Milton formed a bit over a week later, on Oct. 5, and became a Category 5 hurricane on Oct. 7. With winds reaching 180 mph and a pressure of 897 millibars, it became the fifth-most intense Atlantic hurricane on record and the second-most intense recorded over the Gulf of Mexico. On Oct. 9, it made landfall in Florida as a Category 3 storm, less than two weeks after Helene.
Ahead of the hurricane, Florida declared a state of emergency.
Milton knocked out power for over 3 million people, and caused widespread flooding. It also damaged infrastructure, and tore off the roof of the Tropicana Field Stadium in St. Petersburg.
In spite of the destruction, many Floridians expressed relief that the storm was not as bad as it could have been. The Tampa Bay region was spared from the lethal storm surge that forecasters had feared.
“We did not get the worst-case scenario,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said. “But we did get hit, and we’re going to have to work to bounce back.”
California has also been helping with the hurricane relief efforts. Before Milton made landfall, California Governor Gavin Newsom deployed 144 first responders to Georgia from California’s Urban Search and Rescue Task Force teams. PG&E additionally sent another 400 personnel and 300 vehicles to restore power.
Recovery is underway with many residents still without power and awaiting repairs.
