By: Staff Writer
October 11, 2024
Hurricane Milton left 11 dead and thousands without power on Thursday, meteorologists, officials and residents had feared that there would be more casualties
Milton has now moved off Florida’s east coast Thursday morning after making landfall Wednesday evening near Sarasota in Siesta Key. The powerful storm brought destructive winds, widespread power outages affecting over 4 million customers and a significant outbreak of tornadoes across the Sunshine State.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said people should put Hurricane Milton “in perspective” in response to a reporter’s question about climate change.
At a press conference on Thursday, DeSantis was asked whether “global warming” impacted the hurricane’s intensity after Milton spawned several tornadoes that wreaked havoc in the Sunshine State.
DeSantis rejected the premise that Milton was worse than previous hurricanes, stating, “I think you can go back and find tornadoes for all of human history.”
Compared to previous storms, Milton had a barometric pressure of about 950 millibars when it made landfall, the governor said. “I think if you go back to 1851, there’s probably been about 27 hurricanes that have had lower barometric pressure – so the lower the barometric pressure, the stronger it is.”
orida Gov. Ron DeSantis said people should put Hurricane Milton “in perspective” in response to a reporter’s question about climate change.
At a press conference on Thursday, DeSantis was asked whether “global warming” impacted the hurricane’s intensity after Milton spawned several tornadoes that wreaked havoc in the Sunshine State.
DeSantis rejected the premise that Milton was worse than previous hurricanes, stating, “I think you can go back and find tornadoes for all of human history.”
Compared to previous storms, Milton had a barometric pressure of about 950 millibars when it made landfall, the governor said. “I think if you go back to 1851, there’s probably been about 27 hurricanes that have had lower barometric pressure – so the lower the barometric pressure, the stronger it is.”
Hurricane Milton is continuing to move away from Florida’s east coast and is expected to pass to the north of the Bahamas later on Thursday. The NHC predicted Milton would “become a powerful post-tropical storm this afternoon or evening, with gradual weakening expected during the next several days.” It also warned of tropical storm conditions in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina as a result of Milton.