Hurricane Milton is expected to hit the coast of Florida on Thursday morning, Norwegian time.

On Tuesday, US President Joe Biden urged people to follow the evacuation order issued by the authorities.

– This may be the worst storm to hit Florida in more than 100 years. He said that God willing, this would not be the case, but it seems so now.

Many residents of the state located in the southeast of the country panicked. In the millionaire city of Tampa, cars lined up to pick up sandbags at a sports field, which they were supposed to use to protect their homes.

-Very chaotic and stressful

Among those now evacuating their homes is Norwegian Marit Hansen Moshoe. She lives and works on flat, exposed Sanibel Island on the southwest coast of Florida. On Tuesday afternoon local time, the resort town of a few thousand residents outside the tourist season was evacuated to Fort Myers.

When NRK contacted Mouchou on Tuesday afternoon local time, she was in the process of evacuating.

– She says it's very chaotic and stressful.

While the hurricane rages, she will live at a friend's brother's house with nine other people, four dogs and a bird, she says when she arrives home.

“Now I parked the car, emptied my bag, got into bed, and opened my best bottle of wine,” Mushu says.

Consider moving due to hurricanes

The island she lives on is scheduled to be evacuated by 10pm on Tuesday local time. It's what's called a mandatory evacuation, meaning those who choose to stay on the island must fend for themselves. Without the help of police, firefighters or health workers.

-We are used to this. We did what we could. Now it's just a matter of riding out the storm. The hurricane appears to be hitting the Tampa area to the north of us. Then we wouldn't get hurricane winds. But we can still get “storm surge”. This was also during “Ian” in the year 2022. Then the sea rose so much that people drowned in their homes.

Mushu has been through several major hurricanes while living in the USA since 1999. When a hurricane hit her home in September 2022, Mushu lost much of what she owned.

-The entire group was a nervous wreck after that experience.

She is considering moving from the island due to the frequent hurricanes.

-I can't keep evacuating like this year after year. The island I live on is still under construction after Ian, says Marit Hansen Muchu.

The calm before the storm

Henrik Solvorn Fjeldsbø from Høyanger is also evacuating the West Coast of Florida no.

Driving from Clearwater, where his wife, Lindsay, rents a house with her mother and son.

– Right now, as the saying goes, the calm before the storm, the elder told NRK before leaving the family on Tuesday afternoon Norwegian time.

When he planned to take his daughter from Høyanger to Florida, it was with sunbathing and beach life in mind. But weather forecasts change quickly.

– Upon departure on Saturday, there were indications that the storm might be developing. When we got here Sunday morning, it was clear that it was going to become a hurricane and hit Florida.

But people act. He says they are packing their cars and trying to escape as much as possible.

– As a Western citizen, I am accustomed to harsh weather, especially in the fall and winter. But what they're conveying here now is something that's a bit beyond comprehension, Fieldsbaugh says.

It's only been a week since Hurricane Helen hit Florida. It left visible traces behind it, says Fieldsbaugh.

– On Clearwater Beach and the beaches below, stores and homes were destroyed. “There is debris everywhere,” he says.

Fjeldsbø believed that this could lead to very great destruction of “Milton”.

– There will be a lot of projectiles that can penetrate houses and cars. “That's why I think people are more stressed about escaping,” he says.

Hoarding

Fjeldsbø believes the most important thing is to try to stay calm, not panic, be good in preparations and focus on the escape.

– After Sunday and Monday, people were hoarding. They got valuables, property and cars. You can also see that people have been evacuated in a big way. Yesterday at the latest, we had friends here who were going to fill up their car with gas in preparation for evacuation. The parish says they visited seven gas stations before they finally got fuel.

When the storm is over, hopefully Thursday or Friday, Big Regret and his entourage are thinking about going back to make sure everything is in order and prepare for a normal weekday again.

-The question is, will I have electricity when I return, will I have water? Will there be a functioning septic system, and at the very least will the house hold up?

Strong hurricanes

Global warming will likely increase the strength of tropical cyclones, according to the United Nations climate panel.

The reason is that the sea has become warmer than before.

New areas may be exposed to the remnants of tropical cyclones.

Whether the total number of hurricanes changes is uncertain. Maybe there will be the same number or fewer.

Swipe to see how a tornado forms.

Agence France-Presse

A tornado is forming

Imagine that the sea temperature is more than 26-27 degrees.

Water evaporates and warm air rises. The air contains a lot of moisture.

At the top, the air gets colder, it becomes harder to maintain moisture, and a lot of energy is released.

If the wind strength is more than 32.6 m/s, we call it a hurricane.

Agence France-Presse

Great destruction

In a tropical cyclone, strong winds and heavy amounts of rain cause significant destruction.

Strong winds and storm surge are also frightening consequences of a hurricane.

Indeed, rising sea levels mean that waves and tides reach a greater depth.

Stronger, more intense hurricanes will cause greater damage.

AP

the future

NOAA believes an additional number of powerful hurricanes could occur in the Atlantic Ocean this year.

Residents of hurricane-prone areas will likely have to get used to earlier, more powerful hurricanes, according to climate scientists.

Hurricanes are also known as hurricanes and hurricanes in other waters.

AP

gauge

Hurricanes are classified by the strength of their winds, with numbers 1 to 5 used.

The scale is called Saffir-Simpson.

It's Category 4 and 5 that we'll see more of in the future.

Some researchers have suggested that the scale be raised to 6, to make room for hurricanes that grow in size and strength.

– Ride or die

Milton hits Florida less than two weeks after Hurricane Helen, which killed more than 200 people there and in other states.

President Joe Biden has approved a number of crisis measures, and is also asking airlines to help ensure people can be evacuated without increasing prices.

Florida Governor Ron Santis held a press conference on Tuesday where he listed all the cities at risk of a strike.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor also sent a clear message that the storm could be catastrophic. The city, with a population of 3 million, was badly hit by the hurricane at the end of September.

-Helen was a wake-up call. This is literally disastrous. “I can say without any exaggeration: If they choose to stay in one of the evacuated areas, they will die,” she said in an interview with CNN on Tuesday.