This autumn of 2024, Florida has been facing the aftermath of the hurricanes Helene and Milton. These two storms brought significant change to the entire state of Florida and surrounding states, forcing people to move and houses to be destroyed. Hurricane Helene hit the Florida Coast as a category 4 hurricane on September 27th, 2024 and shortly after the incident, on October 9th, Milton made landfall near Siesta Key, Florida as a category 3 hurricane.
Hurricane Helene
Hurricane Helene was initially classified as a tropical storm on September 24th, but the next day, September 25th, it reached 74 mph and obtained its name “Helene” and the categorization of a hurricane. Slamming into Florida’s Big Bend region at 140 mph, this tropical cyclone is said to be the deadliest hurricane to hit the United States since Hurricane Maria in 2017. Bringing a 15-foot storm surge to Florida coasts, several estimates say that the economic damage of Hurricane Helene is as high as $200 billion, making it the most damaging and expensive hurricane in U.S. history.
The number of victims of the tragic event has surpassed 230 people by the 7th of October. Not only are these victims from Florida, they’re from Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee. Around 4 million individuals were left without electricity and were affected by flooding, with floods being the main cause of death. The U.S. National Guard and Search Rescue had to help many people who were trapped in their homes after the flooding, and recovery plans were made approximately 2 weeks after to repair the damage.
Hurricane Milton
On October 5th of 2024, a tropical depression that was numbered 14, was named Tropical Storm Milton after passing 39 mph. The tropical storm soon passed 74 mph on October 6th and became Hurricane Milton. After this, the storm only continued to progress, from category 2 in the beginning, and then quickly on October 7th winds with speeds fitting in category 5 were measured. This means that the announcement of the hurricane to its growth to category 5 was only a 2-day span. Milton made landfall on October 9th in Florida, which is still recently recovering from the mass damage of Helene, near Siesta Key. Thankfully, Hurricane Milton did not hit Florida coasts as a category 5 storm, but it was still a category 3, with sustained winds of 120 mph.
As few as 10 people were reported as deceased after the hurricane passed through Florida and into the Atlantic Ocean. Florida is continuing to recover from the hurricane that occurred not long after Helene, and many people are still left without electricity and housing.
Moving Forward
The occurrence of these 2 Hurricanes, Helene and Milton, are reminders that the frequency of these storms is rising and becoming a concern not just for people in the south of the United States but possibly the surrounding states as well. They have a notable impact on current lives, as well as future generations. Constant storms create more damages which push people out of their homes, and they are left without a place to live. Climate change continues to influence weather patterns and continuous storms, especially in locations similar to Florida which are prone to hurricanes. As we reflect on the events that have taken place, we hope that all people affected by this natural disaster stay safe and resilient through these difficult times.
If you or anyone you know is interested in helping the people affected by the 2024 hurricane season, there are many organizations accepting donations to provide resources. Both the Red Cross and Salvation Army are accepting donations through their website to assist people, providing emergency equipment, hygiene, food, water, and more. Both the Red Cross and Salvation Army have other methods of donating, in forms of mail and over the phone. More information can be found on their websites, and the resources are given below if you wish to help.
Resources to Help:
https://www.redcross.org/donate/dr/hurricanes-milton-helene.html/
https://give.helpsalvationarmy.org/give/166081?c_src=web-header#!/donation/checkout
Sources:
https://www.britannica.com/event/Hurricane-Helene
https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-milton-tampa-florida-5f6a112986eb6e21720f0f17c504afe8
https://convoyofhope.org/articles/hurricane-milton/
Photo Credits:
https://appliedsciences.nasa.gov/what-we-do/disasters/disasters-activations/hurricane-milton
https://www.boston.com/community/readers-say/2024/10/10/readers-hurricane-helene-and-milton-impact/
