President Biden warned on Tuesday that Hurricane Milton could be the worst storm to hit Florida in more than a century and urged residents in its path to follow the direction of local officials.
Biden, speaking to reporters at the White House, said he’d spoken with Ken Graham, director of the National Weather Service, who explained that Hurricane Milton could bring storm surges of 15 feet along the coast of Florida, as well as damaging winds.
“This could be the worst storm to hit Florida in over a century,” Biden said. “And God willing it won’t be, but that’s what it’s looking like right now.”
The storm is expected to hit the Tampa Bay area, Biden said, and cut directly across the state. It could make landfall as a hurricane and leave Florida on the Atlantic coast as a hurricane, he said.
“Most importantly, I urge everyone, everyone currently located in Hurricane Milton’s path to listen to local officials and follow safety instructions,” Biden said. “If you’re under evacuation order, you should evacuate now. Now, now, now. You should have already evacuated. It’s a matter of life and death.”
Biden said he spoke on Monday night with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and Tampa Mayor Jane Castor (D), and he ensured them they would have whatever they needed from the federal government as the storm hit. Biden said he provided his personal phone number to both officials.
Hurricane Milton is a Category 4 storm that is poised to make landfall on Wednesday. Thousands of Floridians have been urged to evacuate ahead of its arrival.
Milton will be the second major storm in recent weeks to hit Florida, as other parts of the state are still recovering from Hurricane Helene. That storm also tore through Georgia and the Carolinas, killing more than 200 people.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said late Monday the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has the necessary resources to respond effectively to Hurricane Milton despite the back-to-back storms.