Hurricane Milton: what explains less damage than expected in Florida

Evacuation orders were crucial to preserving lives. According to authorities, the adequate evacuation of part of the population prevented more deaths from being recorded. More than 90,000 residents sought government-provided shelter during the storm.

The Tampa Bay region, which was considered one of the main targets in Milton’s path, did not receive the worst outlook for the storm. The islands that serve as barriers on the coast, south of the city, suffered from major flooding. Even with the floods, there was no “catastrophic” rise in ocean levels.

Amount of debris is less than expected. In an interview with the NPR portal, Colonel Brandon Bowman described the visit he made last Thursday (10), in Tampa, one of the cities affected by Milton. “The water in the Tampa Bypass Canal was very clear, free of trees and logs. The canal was in very good condition.” According to him, it was possible to identify fences and fallen trees throughout the city. “However, the homes were in good condition based on how much of the storm passed,” he said.

It was less damage than I anticipated. I always prefer to prepare for the worst possible scenario. If I believe that (a category 4 hurricane) will arrive, I always raise the level to one category above (…) We were prepared for a category 5 arrival; receiving a category 3 arrival was great news. Colonel Brandon Bowman

The post-hurricane scenario

Florida’s governor declared that the situation is “stabilized”. In a press conference this Friday morning (11), Ron DeSantis asked the population to continue “making appropriate decisions” in the post-hurricane scenario. “We see debris. Not as much debris as I had anticipated, honestly, 48 hours ago.”