Milton hit Florida on Wednesday evening with wind speeds of up to 120 mph (193 km/h). At least 16 people have died so far. False reports worry the government.
After Hurricane “Milton” passed over the US state of Florida, the number of victims increased. According to the Reuters news agency, the storm claimed at least 16 lives. Rescue operations and clean-up operations are underway. At the same time, the US government warned of false reports circulating that would hinder aid. “Milton” made landfall south of Tampa, in Siesta Key, on Wednesday evening (local time) with wind speeds of up to 193 km/h.
During the night the storm weakened and moved out to sea. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas confirmed at least 27 tornadoes linked to Milton. As CBS News reports, citing the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, there were at least 16 deaths related to the hurricane.
Evacuations save lives
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said that “Milton” had caused great damage, but that the “worst scenario” had not occurred. As the fifth strongest Atlantic hurricane on record, Milton alone could cost insurers up to $100 billion (€91.47 billion). The evacuation orders saved lives, said Defense Department spokesman Pat Ryder.
Just a few days before “Milton,” Storm “Helene” hit the southeastern United States and left devastating devastation in several US states. According to reports, well over 200 people lost their lives as a result of “Helene”.
“/> Much of the debris was caused by Hurricane Helene and then spread by Hurricane Milton. Getty Images / Sean Rayford
Government warns against false information
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 that “federal officials who are supposed to help people will take their land away,” he said. “We have seen that people are hesitant and hesitant to seek help (…) because they are afraid.” Mayorkas also spoke of threats against officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). “We are seeing terrible hate speech of all kinds being spread on online platforms,” Mayorkas said.
<photo-lightbox src="https://img.diepresse.com/public/incoming/tbolzq-US-WEATHER-HURRICANE-MILTON/alternates/FREE_1800/US-WEATHER-HURRICANE-MILTON" caption="
“/> A car drives through a flooded street in Siesta Key, Florida APA / AFP / Chandan Khanna
Trump promises “help like never before”
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.
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. (APA/dpa/Reuters)
