HURRICANE READINESS REPORT: What Floridians need to know to prepare for potentially catastrophic Hurricane Milton

Michael Hart, a FEMA spokesperson, said spreading misinformation and disinformation about the federal response to hurricanes is a hindrance to people making decisions. 

By Mona Austin, The Slice News 

TAKE HURRICANE MILTON SERIOUSLY AND HEED THE WARNINGS

If you thought Hurricane Helene, the recent super-storm that ripped through multiple states and was recorded as the worst on record in the U.S. was as bad as it gets, you may unfortunately be wrong.  Milton,  is headed toward the Florida coast and predicted to be far more destructive.  

A veteran Florida Meteorologist went viral when he began to sob in a live broadcast as he reported on the quickly intensifying storm, a clear indication of how powerful it is. He was taken aback because he had never seen anything like it. Mandatory evacuation orders are in place in over 50 counties, a large portion of the Florida peninsula. Milton is expected to touch down late Wednesday or early Thursday morning.  Local, state and federal authorities have advised residents to leave. If you stay it is a matter of life and death and is predicted to be  un-survivable due to the likely large amounts of  projectile debris from an estimated storm surge of up to 15 feet.  

At a press conference on Monday October 7, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody warned that those staying behind should prepare for the worse saying: "You probably need to write your name in permanent marker on your arm so that people know who you are when they get to you afterwards."

Speaking to the Slice News on October 8, FEMA Spokesman Michael Hart said the state of Florida has "people and commodities in place who can move in closer once the storm passes." While FEMA is already on the ground participating in recovery efforts from the damage of Hurricane Helene in Florida and other states Hart provided assurance that the agency is prepared to respond to Milton.'We are very well equipped to handle multiple complex disasters," he said.

In anticipation of landfall Wednesday morning, Pres. Joe Biden held a briefing about storm readiness with FEMA administrators and Vice President Kamala Harris.  The Biden Administration has been working non-stop to communicate he threat level of the storm and coordinate a suitable federal response.  Biden thanked the team for their preliminary response and recognize the life-threatening risk FEMA workers are taking to save others.

Afterward, FEMA Director Deanne Criswell who has been assisting in South Carolina, joined the WH Daily Briefing by Zoom.  "The entire federal family is prepared to take action," she said.

Her main message to the people of Florida was the heed to tornado alerts that may come via cell phone as there are active tornadoes in the state currently associated with the broader  weather event.

She too reiterated that there are enough resources to handle multiple storms as they continue to address the recovery from Helene, "FEMA is ready.  our agency is postured to respond to this storm," she said.