"Milton" could turn out to be the worst natural disaster to hit the US state in a century.
Storm-hit Florida is bracing for a direct hit from Hurricane Milton, which intensified to a Category 5 storm Tuesday, and President Joe Biden asked residents to flee what he warned could be the worst natural disaster in an American state in a century.
As the second massive hurricane in as many weeks approached Florida's west coast, the sense of impending disaster spread as people rushed to leave their homes and flee.
"This is a matter of life and death, and this is not hyperbole," Biden said from the White House, urging those ordered to leave to "evacuate now, now, now."
Biden's warning came amid a bitter election row, with his Democratic vice presidential running mate Kamala Harris chastising rival Donald Trump for spreading false claims that recovery efforts after the first storm, Hurricane Helene, were spared to Republicans.
As of Tuesday, Milton had again strengthened to a maximum Category 5, generating maximum sustained winds of 270 mph, the National Hurricane Center said.
"Fluctuations in intensity are likely as Milton moves across the eastern Gulf of Mexico, but it is expected to be a dangerous major hurricane when it reaches the west and central Florida coast Wednesday evening," the NHC said.
At a news conference, Gov. Ron DeSantis listed city after city and county after county that are in danger.
"Basically, the entire peninsula of Florida is under some kind of either watch or warning," he said.
Airlines dropped extra flights from Tampa, Orlando, Fort Myers and Sarasota as highways clogged with people fleeing and gas stations sold out of fuel.
Hurricane expert Michael Lowry warned that in the Tampa area, home to about three million people, Milton's hurricane surge "could double the hurricane surge levels seen two weeks ago during Hurricane Helen," which caused massive flooding.
Biden postponed an important trip to Germany to observe the federal response as efforts to mitigate the storm's effects turned into a political battle ahead of the Nov. 5 presidential election.
Trump seized on the frustration with the emergency response after Hurricane Helene and fed it with misinformation, falsely claiming that disaster money was spent on migrants.
On Tuesday, Biden branded Trump's comments as "un-American," and presidential candidate Harris called the allegations "the height of irresponsibility and outright callousness." | BGNES
