Florida meteorologist John Morales got emotional on an NBC broadcast Monday when he talked about Hurricane Milton's dangerous and rapid strengthening in the Gulf of Mexico.
“This is an amazing, amazing, amazing hurricane,” Morales said, then his voice trailed off as he talked about the atmospheric pressure drop of 50 millibars in just 10 hours as the storm intensified. “I'm sorry, it's terrible.” Morales added.
Hurricane Milton, the highest category 5 hurricane, is heading towards Florida, and according to the US National Hurricane Center, it will reach the densely populated city of Tampa Bay on Wednesday night or early Thursday morning. By then, it could weaken to level three. This still means that it can cause significant damage and kill people.
People in Florida have been told to prepare to evacuate. Schools will be closed in several counties on Tuesday, and airports in Tampa and Orlando announced they would suspend air traffic starting Tuesday due to the storm.
Hurricane Milton's record numbers come ten days after Hurricane Helen tore through the southeastern United States, killing at least 225 people. The search is still ongoing for hundreds of missing people.