Each year, hurricane season lasts from June 1st to November 30th, and by early October, the season for natural disasters is at its peak (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). Hurricanes, one of the most deadly natural disasters, are always devastating, and the state of Florida is historically the most affected. However, this year’s hurricanes in particular are bad news for southwest Florida.

Two weeks ago on September 26th, Hurricane Helene struck the Big Bend of Florida. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports that it began to form on September 22nd over the Caribbean Sea, but gained power until it landed with category 4 status. Severe flooding and strong winds caused hundreds of fatalities and some irreparable damage. Unfortunately, Helene was not the end of hurricane season, nor was it the peak of disaster for Florida. 

A larger, stronger hurricane named Hurricane Milton began to steadily make its way toward Tampa Bay on Sunday, October 6th. What began as a tropical storm over the Gulf of Mexico erupted into a raging category 5 hurricane in less than two days, according to USA Today. With winds reaching 165mph and barometric pressure dropping to 902mb Tuesday morning, Milton is predicted to be extremely destructive and deadly upon its landfall in Florida on October 10th. 

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor appeared on CNN Monday night to warn Florida citizens and encourage evacuation. “This is something that I’ve never seen in my life and I can tell you anyone born and raised in the Tampa Bay area has never seen anything like this before,” she warned. “People need to get out.”

Many Florida natives survived the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene, but Hurricane Milton is likely to bring storm surges double the height of Helene and will require more than the typical precautions.

“If we have this predicted storm surge, this is not survivable,” Castor admits. “If you choose to stay…you are going to die”.