A night of uncertainty, worry and insomnia. This is how many Argentines in Tampa, Florida, and the surrounding area experienced the passage of Hurricane Milton. With wind gusts of 180km/h that ripped objects from the ground and total darkness due to power outages, Residents have not yet seen the full extent of the damage. Instead, they stayed sheltered in their homes, waiting for the right moment to go out, analyze the damage and start cleaning up the mess.
Carolina F., 58 years old, He said he had a “terrible” night.but that his house resisted. “I fell asleep after 3 in the morning and I still don’t know anything; They ask us not to go out yet,” he tells THE NATION with the radio in hand, which is your only tool to find out the news, since He does not have access to the internet or television.
“Everything was turned upside down” said to THE NATION Macarena Giménezwho lives with her husband and seven-year-old daughter Emma in Sarasota, where the hurricane hit at midnight. Giménez said that Fortunately they only suffered minor damage. “It was intense, but we are fine. Only one mosquito net broke and we have been without power since yesterday,” he explained. “Today will be cleaning day,” he added.
According to him, yesterday they took measures to protect their home: they covered the windows with sheets to prevent them from breaking and checked that the garden furniture was secured. Other residents decided to throw the furniture into the pool so that it would float and prevent it from flying away. Additionally, they filled bathtubs with water and stocked up on food and other essential supplies. They also had to block the entrances with sandbags so that water, one of the biggest fears, would not infiltrate the interior of the homes.
Category 3 Hurricane Milton moved through Florida Wednesday night into early Thursday morning after The authorities indicated that it could be the worst storm in a century.
Governor Ron DeSantis spoke about the destruction left by the cyclone, but noted that the worst-case scenario was avoided. This natural disaster unleashed its fury just two weeks after Hurricane Helene will cause havoc in Florida and other southeastern states, with a death toll of more than 230 and debris still scattered.
This time, Milton provoked at least four deaths and significant destruction, particularly in Tampa and Sarasota, where rescue and cleanup operations persist.
Until now, No injured Argentines were reported. Some suffered material damage and most are affected by power outages, but no serious injuries were reported among them.
“Last night the power went out and it didn’t come back. There are many people in the same situation and we don’t know when they will return. A tree fell in my garden due to the strong winds but without major damage, fortunately”, dice a THE NATION César Marti Garro, who is alone in his home near Tampa because his family decided to voluntarily evacuate.
Victoria Razzeto is 29 years old, Argentine and has lived in Florida since 2019, where she works as a photographer at Walt Disney World. “The weather was hot, with different sensations in the air, because we understood that it would be an unpredictable hurricane“, he stated to THE NATION given the uncertainty generated by this particular phenomenon that disoriented even the locals, who usually go through the hurricane season with a certain naturalness.
“Even my friends who grew up in Florida, who are normally very calm during hurricanes, the They feared this one more. There was no idea what disasters Milton could cause,” he said from the confinement of his Kissimmee apartment.
Uncertainty reigns among Argentines on vacation in Florida, especially those at Disney, where the parks closed on Wednesday after noon, and will continue not to open this Thursday.
Juan Lynch is there with his family and, according to what he told THE NATION, Milton passed during the early morning, when people were sleeping, and although strong gusts of wind could be heard, it was not dramatic.
“This morning everything was calm, but we are waiting for them to confirm if there was damage to the park and if they will be able to reopen tomorrow,” he added.
Meanwhile, authorities continue to assess the damage and ensure that all residents are safe while carrying out rescue and clean-up operations in the most affected areas.
In desperation to make up for the lack of electricity supply and with the unknowns about when they will recover the service, Florida residents turn to electricity generators to cook, stay out of the dark, and stay connected.
But many chose to relocate them inside their homes or garages so that they would not be blown away by the storm or damaged by rainwater. That’s why the Miami Dade County Emergency Management Department and FEMA issued alerts about the dangers of this. “The carbon monoxide that generators emit is toxic and can be fatal,” they indicated in X.
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