By love-89.com In a recent interview, residents of the Tampa Bay area recounted their experiences as they braced for the evacuation prompted by Hurricane Milton. Initially weakening to a Category 4, Milton rapidly intensified back to a Category 5 on the afternoon of October 8, with predictions showing it poised to make landfall in the Tampa Bay region by the evening of October 9. Given the storm’s potentially devastating impact, authorities implemented mandatory evacuation orders across eleven counties, affecting around 5.9 million residents. President Biden strongly urged those in the hurricane’s path to evacuate without delay, underscoring the urgency of the situation as a matter of life and death.
“It’s been over a century since a major hurricane has directly hit Tampa Bay,” one local resident expressed. In anticipation of Hurricane Milton’s arrival, various services—from airlines to utility companies and amusement parks like Universal Studios—suspended operations throughout Florida. Orlando International Airport announced it would cease operations at 8 a.m. on October 9, while Tampa International Airport closed its doors a day earlier.
“This could be the worst storm Florida has faced in over a hundred years,” President Biden stated during a media briefing following discussions with disaster response officials. He shared that he had spoken with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis the night before, offering his personal phone number for any urgent requests. Biden noted that Governor DeSantis had already received considerable support from the federal government.
In light of the imminent storm, Biden approved an emergency declaration for Florida, urging airlines to prioritize evacuation efforts over profit. He reiterated the importance of residents following state evacuation orders, while also postponing his planned diplomatic trip to Germany and Angola from October 10 to 15 to oversee the federal response to the storm.
As panic began to set in, over 2,000 flights were either delayed or canceled by the afternoon of October 8, with reports confirming 1,311 delays and 701 cancellations—a situation anticipated to worsen. Locals flocked to gas stations to fill their tanks, only to find long lines and some stations running dry. In response to the impending hurricane, energy companies began shutting down pipelines and fuel distribution centers in the Tampa area, with Kinder Morgan announcing the closure of its Central Florida Pipeline system.
Worried about a rare direct hit from Hurricane Milton, Tampa Bay residents hurried to evacuate and take measures to safeguard their belongings against potential flood damage. Craig Fugate, the former administrator of FEMA who previously managed Florida’s emergency responses, advised, “Today is the last day to get ready.”
Just under two weeks earlier, Florida’s bustling west coast had already suffered severe damage from Hurricane Helene. As Milton approached, forecasts indicated the storm would remain exceptionally dangerous, likely to bring catastrophic damage and prolonged power outages. Residents proactively prepared sandbags along the coastline in anticipation of heavy rainfall and the possibility of flash flooding.