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In pictures: Hurricane Milton, ‘the storm of the century’, makes landfall in Florida
Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida on Wednesday night, bringing tornadoes, floods, and the risk of storm surges, according to US media reports.
From category 5 to category 3
Initially a category 5 storm (the highest on the hurricane scale), Milton slammed into Florida’s west coast as a category 3, and since has lessened to a category 1, authorities said.
“The storm of the century”
But despite losing some of its potency to wind shear as it neared the coast, Milton is still one of the strongest hurricanes to strike the US mainland in recent memory, according to ‘The Guardian’ and has been described by president Joe Biden as “the storm of the century”.
Photo: Milton by NASA
More than 3 million without power
More than 3 million households and businesses have lost power across Florida, according to poweroutage.us, with the worst-hit communities mostly in the Tampa Bay Area, according to CNN.
Tornadoes that destroyed homes
With winds of over 100 mph (160 kph), Milton produced a barrage of tornadoes that destroyed about 125 homes, many of them mobile homes in communities for senior citizens, according to an AP News report.
“Several fatalities”
St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson told WPBF News, that there were “several fatalities” though he couldn’t say how many people have died.
Still recovering from Hurricane Helene
Hurricane Milton slammed into a region still reeling two weeks after Hurricane Helene flooded streets and homes in western Florida and left at least 230 people dead across the South.
“If you choose to stay, you’re going to die”
Authorities issued mandatory evacuation orders across 15 Florida counties with a total population of about 7.2 million people, with dire warnings such as Tampa Bay mayor’s Jane Castor who said “ If you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you’re going to die.”
Milton will remain a hurricane as it crosses Orlando
Milton will remain a hurricane as it passes across Florida to the east on Thursday, crossing the popular tourist destination of Orlando before emerging into the Atlantic, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NHC) said.
Risk of life-threatening flash floods
“Heavy rainfall across the Florida peninsula through Thursday brings the risk of catastrophic and life-threatening flash and urban flooding along with moderate to major river flooding,” the NHC warned in an advisory.
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Abia State Government, through its Harmonized Taskforce, carried out an extensive enforcement operation in Aba, targeting street trading, illegal parking, road obstructions, and unauthorized loading and offloading of vehicles.
This decisive action, tagged “Operation Restore Absolute Sanity,” is to instill orderliness, cleanliness, and civility in the state.
The operation covered major junctions and roads, including Osisioma Junction, Tonimas, Enyimba, Double Pole, Ariaria Junction, and Park Road.
Traders and motorists who had encroached on public spaces and blocked drains were compelled to vacate these areas, as the taskforce dismantled illegal structures and cleared obstructions.
Led by Bob Wogu, the chairman of the Abia State Harmonized Taskforce, and joined by the Commissioner for Transport, Hon. Uzor Nwachukwu, the enforcement team showcased its resolve to restore sanity to the bustling commercial city.
Speaking during the exercise, Hon. Nwachukwu emphasized the government’s zero-tolerance policy towards activities that impede free movement and endanger public health and safety.
The taskforce had earlier issued warnings, urging residents and traders to voluntarily remove illegal structures and desist from trading on roads and gutters.
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