Tampa/Washington (dpa) – After Hurricane “Milton” passed over the US state of Florida, rescue efforts and cleanup work are underway. At the same time, the US government is warning against false reports circulating that are hindering aid. According to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, there are reports of at least ten deaths in connection with the storm in Florida.
“Milton” made landfall late Wednesday evening (local time) about 100 kilometers south of Tampa, in Siesta Key, as a level 3 hurricane with sustained wind speeds of up to 193 kilometers per hour. During the night the storm weakened and moved out to sea. Mayorkas confirmed at least 27 tornadoes linked to “Milton.”
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said that “Milton” had caused great damage, but that the “worst scenario” had not occurred. The evacuation orders saved lives, said Defense Department spokesman Pat Ryder.
False reports and threats worry the US government
Just a few days before “Milton,” storm “Helene” hit the southeastern United States and left devastating devastation in several states. According to reports, well over 200 people lost their lives as a result of “Helene”.
The storms come right in the middle of the hot phase of the election campaign. In less than a month, on November 5th, the US presidential election will take place. US Vice President Kamala Harris wants to prevent Republican Donald Trump from returning to the White House. A head-to-head race is emerging.
Mayorkas expressed concern about “deliberately spreading misinformation” that has real impacts on survivors. For example, there is an allegation circulating that “federal employees who are supposed to help people will take their land away,” he said. “We have seen that people are reluctant and hesitate to seek help (…) because they are afraid.”
“Terrible hate speech of all kinds”
Mayorkas also spoke of threats against officials at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). “We are seeing terrible hate speech of all kinds being spread on online platforms,” said Mayorkas.
Biden was also concerned. People risked their own lives to help others and faced death threats. This is a result of “reckless, irresponsible, relentless false claims and outright lies” that continue to be spread.
He and his deputy Harris have been warning about false reports for days. They also accused the Republican Trump of deliberately spreading false information.
Trump promises “help like never before” after hurricane
The Republican presidential candidate published a video on Platform X and promised “help like never before”. “Hopefully there will be someone in office on January 20th who will really help,” said Trump, referring to the outcome of the presidential election. The inauguration will take place on January 20th.
Trump also announced that he would travel to the disaster area again. “I will be there very soon,” he said during a speech in Detroit. Trump had already traveled to affected areas twice after Storm Helene. Biden and Harris also visited locations in the disaster area. However, Trump accuses them of not responding adequately to the storm.
