Jonathan Klotz | Author issued
Two weeks after Hurricane Helen hit the Southeast, Hurricane Milton is approaching. This latest storm strengthened to a Category 5 over the weekend, weakened to a Category 4 as of Tuesday morning, and is still on track to become one of the most powerful storms on record. NASA has released footage of the storm system seen from the International Space Station, revealing just how big the storm is.
Hurricane Milton has been described as a “pinhole hurricane,” with its eye shrinking to four miles in diameter, which is why this storm is much more powerful than Helen.
To put this footage into perspective, the International Space Station is in orbit 400 miles above Earth. At this distance, Hurricane Milton is still huge, covering almost the entire Gulf of Mexico as it moves landward. Forecast wind speeds are close to 155 mph (revised down from the original forecast of 185 mph), making it one of the most powerful storms ever recorded, compared to the 1900 Galvez that wiped the city off the map. It’s comparable to a massive hurricane. It’s one thing to hear about wind speeds and that over a million Floridians have been evacuated, but it’s another thing to actually see a storm happening.
As dangerous as Hurricane Milton’s winds are, the real threat to Florida right now is the storm surge, which is predicted to be between 8 and 14 feet high.
If you watched the footage, you probably noticed the hurricane’s distinctive eye. The eye of a hurricane is the axis that moves the entire storm, so although it may sound counterintuitive, the smaller the hurricane, the more dangerous it is. Hurricane Milton has been described as a “pinhole hurricane,” with its eye shrinking to four miles in diameter, which is why this storm is much more powerful than Helen.
Viewing Hurricane Milton from the International Space Station gives you an idea of the scale of the damage it caused.
As dangerous as Hurricane Milton’s winds are, the real threat to Florida right now is the storm surge, which is predicted to be between 8 and 14 feet high. The hurricane’s current path is hitting Tampa Bay from the north, and given the storm’s rotation, that means water will be pushed into the bay, dramatically increasing the chance of flooding. 8 to 14 feet may not sound like much, but storm surge is measured by how far it lifts oceans above sea level, and given how low-lying much of the Florida coast is, 8 to 14 feet may not sound like much. Even a foot would reach many miles inland.
A 10-foot storm surge is enough to cause catastrophic flooding, and even if buildings are still standing after Hurricane Milton passes, the damage could be enough to require demolition. One foot of water is enough to cause devastating bacterial and fungal damage, and 10 feet of water is nothing to worry about. To put this in perspective, storm surge from Milton could cause flooding to reach Interstate 75 and, in a worst-case scenario, nearly 100 miles inland.
Viewing Hurricane Milton from the International Space Station gives you a sense of the scale of the damage it caused. One of these storms can be a life-changing event for millions of people. Twice within two weeks is enough to break down even the most well-prepared. This storm may weaken further before making landfall, but considering the damage caused by Helen, even a Category 3 storm would be enough to cause significant damage to the region for many years.
Millions of Floridians have been evacuated from the Gulf Coast, Disney and Universal have closed their theme parks, and the state can now only sit back, wait, and hope for the best.
