9.12.3 The impact of Hurricane Milton Hurricane Milton formed on 5 October 2024 from a tropical disturbance in the Caribbean Sea. Over the next two days it intensified rapidly, reaching category 5 status on 7 October, while it was in the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricane Milton is one of the fastest developing hurricanes on record and led to mandatory evacuation orders for the Florida coast and a predicted storm surge of up to 4.5 m. At its peak intensity, sustained wind speeds reached 290 km/h. As Hurricane Milton continued towards the Florida coast it encountered a cooler, drier air mass, which disrupted its structure, causing it to weaken to a category 3 hurricane. By the time it made landfall near Siesta Key, Florida, it had sustained winds of 193 km/h.
FIGURE6 A track map of Hurricane Milton
SkillBuilder discussion Geographical inquiry
1. What path did Hurricane Milton take across the South Pacific Ocean? 2. On which date did Hurricane Milton reach its highest wind speeds? 3. Which islands were affected by Hurricane Milton’s path?
SkillBuilder discussion Concluding and decision-making 1. What kind of extreme weather event is shown in FIGURE7 ? 2. How are the strong winds affecting the trees and buildings? 3. What impact might this storm have on the surrounding area?
FIGURE7 The power of a cyclone
TOPIC9 Water in the world 327
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