4 months ago

Thousands flee Hurricane Milton, causing traffic jams and fuel shortages

Milton forecast to make landfall late Wednesday or early Thursday. Evacuations ordered for over 1 million people in Florida's west-coast counties. Evacuees create traffic jams; 17% of gas stations out of fuel. Unusual path and rapid intensification raise concerns for storm-surge impact. Huge storm comes less than two weeks after devastating Helene. TAMPA, Florida, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Hurricane Milton barreled toward Florida's battered Gulf Coast as an enormous Category 5 storm on Tuesday, triggering massive traffic jams and fuel shortages as officials ordered more than 1 million people to flee before it slams into the Tampa Bay area. Milton, which exploded on Monday into one of the most intense Atlantic hurricanes on record, was forecast to make landfall late Wednesday or early Thursday, threatening a stretch of Florida's densely populated west coast that is still reeling from the devastating Hurricane Helene less than two weeks ago. A direct hit on the bay would be the first since 1921, when the now-sprawling Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater area was a relative backwater. Today it is home to more than 3 million people. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor warned people against riding out the storm, calling Helene a mere wakeup call. "If you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you're going to die," Castor said. In Tampa, Estephani Veliz Hernandez said she and her family were collecting their pets, important documents, and their cash before heading to a relative's home further inland.