The arrival of back-to-back hurricanes that rapidly intensified into mighty storms comes as climate change exacerbates conditions that are allowing them to thrive in warming waters. Milton is the 13th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which started June 1.

Higher than average sea-surface temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico have helped fuel the hurricane’s rapid intensification.

According to NASA Earth Observatory, rapid intensification takes place when a tropical cyclone’s maximum sustained wind speeds increase by at least 30 knots (55km/h) over a 24-hour period.

“Milton strengthened at nearly triple that rate, with winds increasing from 80 to 175 miles per hour in 24 hours from October 6–7,” the agency reported. Europe recorded its highest surface air temperatures on record during this year’s northern summer, averaging 1.54°C above the 1991-2020 average.

Loading

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor issued increasingly dire warnings, noting that a 15-foot surge could swallow an entire house.

“So if you’re in it, basically that’s the coffin that you’re in,” she said.

Most of Florida’s west coast was under a hurricane or tropical storm warning as the system spun just off Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula, creeping toward shore and sucking energy from the Gulf of Mexico’s warm waters.

In Riverview, south of Tampa, several drivers waiting in a long line for fuel Tuesday morning said they had no plans to evacuate.

“I think we’ll just hang, you know, tough it out,” said Martin Oakes, of nearby Apollo Beach. “We got shutters up. The house is all ready. So this is sort of the last piece of the puzzle.”

At the Tampa airport, John Fedor and his wife were trying to catch a cab to a storm shelter after missing multiple flights home to Philadelphia. They had hoped taking a Caribbean cruise would bring them closer, but tensions were rising after they spent nearly $US1,000 on unplanned transportation and hotel rooms due to travel delays.

“We’re kind of like stranded here,” Fedor said.

President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for Florida, and the White House announced he would postpone a trip to Germany and Angola to monitor the storm.

“This could be the worst storm to hit Florida in over a century,” Biden told reporters. “God willing it won’t be. But that’s what it’s looking like right now.”

The Florida Highway Patrol reported heavy traffic northbound and eastbound on all roadways and said state troopers were escorting fuel tankers to assist with petrol delivery.

In south-west Florida, the streets in the seaside town of Punta Gorda were still filled with furniture, books, toys and even a few hot tubs destroyed by Helene. Scott Joiner, who described bull sharks swimming in the flooded streets during that storm, said the city has been trying to pick up the trash but didn’t have enough time before Milton.

“Water is a blessing to have, but it is very deadly,” he said.

Sign up for our What in the world newsletter to get a special US election wrap-up every Tuesday plus a note from our foreign correspondents around the globe each Thursday.