The magnitude of Hurricane Milton's impending landfall and projected devastation in Florida took an emotional toll on one veteran meteorologist who was on the air as he delivered updates.
What's happening?
CNN chief media analyst Brian Stelter posted a video on X — the social media platform formerly known as Twitter — of NBC 6 South Florida hurricane specialist John Morales choking up while reporting on the severity of Hurricane Milton. The clip was also shared by the Today Show's Instagram account, where it went viral with over 150,000 likes.
According to Stelter, Morales is the longest-tenured TV meteorologist in South Florida. "When he gets this serious, this emotional, on the air, viewers pay attention," he wrote about Morales.
"It's just an incredible, incredible, incredible hurricane. It has dropped 50 millibars [a unit of atmospheric pressure] in 10 hours," Morales said during his segment on Monday, before apologizing and taking a few moments to regain his composure. "… This is just horrific."
He added that Milton is gaining strength as a result of record-breaking temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico, with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph. Since his broadcast, meteorologists updated the observed maximum sustained winds to 180 mph, though it has since gone back down and averaged 165 mph as of Tuesday evening.
"You know what's driving that — I don't need to tell you. Global warming, climate change leading to this and becoming an increasing threat," he said.
After all, an overheating planet, which extends to warming the oceans enough to make a difference, acts like steroids for extreme weather events and is what has caused such lengthy and active hurricane and typhoon seasons this year.
Why is Hurricane Milton concerning?
Milton displayed near-record levels of rapid intensification, swelling from a Category 1 to a Category 5 in just 18 hours — the second-fastest rate ever, per the Washington Post. The outlet noted that it is the strongest recorded Gulf of Mexico hurricane this late in the season and has dropped to an extremely low pressure, which is inversely proportional to strength.
Experts expect Milton to hit Florida — which is already reeling from the effects of Hurricane Helene — on Wednesday, Oct. 9, and drop 5-10 inches of rain across the state and as much as 15 inches in some areas. There will also likely be an "extremely life-threatening" storm surge as high as 10-15 feet.
"If Milton stays on its course, this will be the most powerful hurricane to hit Tampa Bay in over 100 years," the National Weather Service said in a statement.
Morales echoed that sentiment, stating the storm would clip the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico before weakening as it approaches Florida. "It is so incredibly strong right now that you're going to find it very difficult for it to be nothing less than a major hurricane when it makes landfall in Florida," he mentioned.
What's being done to prepare for Hurricane Milton?
Gov. Ron DeSantis has issued a state of emergency for 51 of Florida's counties and has activated many emergency disaster response and management teams in advance of Hurricane Milton.
President Joe Biden also called upon residents to follow guidelines and evacuate as soon as possible, noting it's "a matter of life and death — that's not hyperbole" and stressed that the government will make sure to provide aid.
Experts predict Hurricane Milton will make landfall in Tampa and impact many areas hit by Helene.
— President Biden (@POTUS) October 8, 2024
I've approved Governor DeSantis's pre-landfall emergency declaration request, @FEMA is on the ground, and I've spoken with the Governor and Mayor Castor to offer anything they need.
As of Tuesday, Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Sarasota, St. Johns, and Volusia Counties are under mandatory evacuation orders. FloridaDisaster.org has a list of resources for residents, including shelter status and evacuation assistance.
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