As Hurricane Milton approached, Sarasota, on the west coast of Florida (southeast), took on the appearance of a ghost town, with many residents choosing to leave as a precaution, following the instructions of the American authorities .
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The city of nearly 57,000 inhabitants is located on the edge of a bay overlooking the Gulf of Mexico which generally attracts tourists, but this time becomes a source of concern for its inhabitants, the hurricane risking causing flooding which could reach 4.50 meters in height in places.
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At first light on Wednesday, Brad Reeves went one last time to the nearby beach, before taking refuge in his apartment, located in a recent building a few kilometers from the coast.
“My nerves are a bit on edge,” he admits, “we go through a whole bunch of emotions, between excitement and worry, sometimes without being able to sleep.”
Not far from him, a boat is embedded in the terrace of a restaurant, a souvenir left by Hurricane Helene, which hit the eastern United States less than two weeks ago, killing more than 200 people.
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Near the marina, Marilyn Borisk went out to walk her chihuahua, Nemo, in the light rain.
This 60-year-old woman chose to stay in her apartment, although located in the mandatory evacuation zone, confident in the solidity of her building, built precisely to withstand hurricanes.
“It’s very worrying for the city. It’s a magnificent, special place, which has already suffered from the damage caused by Hélène”, she regrets, “everyone knows someone who lost their house during the last hurricane, this only adds of suffering.”
A few hours before Milton’s arrival, some are still trying to protect their homes as best they can, like Phil Davis, a real estate agent, busy loading sandbags into his vehicle to place them in front of the door of his house.
“Safer here”
“I’m going to barricade myself and prepare for it. It’s going to be a difficult night, but we will face it and we will rebuild what needs to be rebuilt, everything will be fine,” he assures us.
Downtown, one of the few hotels still open became a refuge for those who didn’t want to leave Sarasota but didn’t feel safe at home.
Several dozen people fill the corridors, their belongings piled into their vehicles. Families with children, elderly and younger people, many with their pets, enter and leave the establishment.
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“We couldn’t leave our animal alone, he has to be with us,” explains Samuel Ursua, a 53-year-old cook, pointing to Bonbon, the little dog at his side, “we feel safer here, I am came with a few friends and relatives.
Hurricane Milton threatens a large part of Florida and many residents have chosen to seek shelter far from the coast.
In Orlando, in the center of the state, residents fear significant flooding, less than two years after Hurricane Ian engulfed the region.
“We opened our eyes with Ian,” emphasizes Brandon Allen, a rescuer who is preparing to intervene in areas affected by potential flooding, “everything can disappear” in the event of a very powerful hurricane.
A shelter has been set up in a school on the edge of Orlando, very close to the Disney World theme parks, and dozens of people are already anxiously waiting for Milton to pass through.
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“It’s scary,” admits Nour Jeboki, 34, who lives nearby and came to take refuge with his family, who had already lost everything in a hurricane 20 years ago, in Texas, and this time preferred to seek shelter. ‘shelter. “I pray that everything goes well. With this one, I’m nervous.”
Climate change makes rapid intensification of storms more likely and increases the risk of more powerful hurricanes by warming sea and ocean waters, scientists say.
