This year’s hurricane season has been devastating, to say the least. Hurricanes Milton and Helene made landfall in late September and early October and traveled across multiple states. These powerful storms left a trail of destruction, catastrophic damage, and significant losses for many communities.
Hurricane Helene:
Originally predicted to do the most damage in Florida, Hurricane Helene’s path into the United States took an unexpected turn. In addition to having a significant effect on Florida, Helene also had an impact on North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
Helene made landfall in Florida, just north of Tampa, as a Category 4 hurricane. The storm pushed in with over 15 feet of storm surges. In Florida alone, 23 mandatory evacuations were ordered. Even though citizens were heavily encouraged to evacuate if they were in the evacuation zone, many chose to stay.
Although inland North Carolina is hundreds of miles from the coast, it became one of the most heavily impacted areas by Helene. Asheville, North Carolina faced a death toll of approximately 130 citizens, and over 600 citizens have been declared missing. Due to roads being completely taken out, hundreds of citizens were left stranded (AP News, 2024). This caused widespread panic among many, who did not know if their loved ones were even alive.
States such as South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia have seen the catastrophic effects of Helene as well. Reportedly, there were 7,000 roads and bridges that were damaged by high waters and debris. This has heavily impacted many citizens, leaving them with no way to leave. Interstate 40, which travels through Tennessee and North Carolina, was severely damaged and it is predicted to be closed for a little under a year to repair.
Hurricane Milton:
Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida in early October. Weather officials predicted Milton to be a monster of a storm. Milton’s path traveled through Mexico and did not lose any stamina. The storm gained more power as it traveled through the Gulf of Mexico and officials said it was reaching the mathematical limit of what the Earth can produce. Helene was reaching a Category 5, but right before landfall, the storm weakened and dropped to a Category 3.
Central Florida was most heavily impacted. The home of the Tampa Bay Rays, Tropicana Field, where many were staying as a place of safety, experienced winds of 106 miles per hour. This caused the roof of the dome to be ripped off and temporary homes were sent flying away. Fortunately, all evacuees had been safely evacuated before the roof was ripped off.
Students of The University of Tampa have had to take precautions on how to continue on with classes, while also balancing repairs. To make up missed days, students are now having to attend classes on Saturdays, from now to December 8th. (The Minaret Online, 2024) With hundreds of citizens evacuating, the prices of flights were doubled and even tripled. This left many students without the means to leave, leaving them to hunker down.
Milton was a monster storm, so with this comes perfect weather conditions for tornadoes. Over 50 tornadoes touched ground in Florida, one even being deadly (The Weather Channel, 2024).
Repairs:
With two hurricanes making landfall back to back, there are dire needs for repairs. The Biden Administration has issued 1,000 federal personnel from FEMA, or the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to Florida to assist with repairs. Additionally, the United States Coast Guard issued 1,300 personnel to Florida (The White House, 2024).
The Red Cross Organization alone has helped tremendously by providing 2 million dollars worth of meals, housing for over 2000 people across the 6 states affected, and over 95,000 resources to help aid the region. (Red Cross, 2024).
It is still too soon to see how long it will take to repair, but we can only hope it will be quickly.
