9.12.4 The aftermath of Hurricane Milton Two weeks before Hurricane Milton crossed the Florida coast, Hurricane Helene had already carved a path of destruction. This category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 22 km/h resulted in significant damage, leaving the region in a weakened state, making the recovery efforts more challenging.
TABLE2 The combined impacts of Hurricanes Winston and Helene Hurricane Helene
Hurricane
Storm surge /coastal flooding
2.5 m — extensive flooding of low- lying areas Roads, homes and businesses submerged More than 3000 homes were destroyed or suffered significant structural damage
2.4 m — extensive flooding of low- lying areas Roads, homes and businesses submerged Over 500 000 homes were damaged or destroyed due to strong winds and flooding 125 homes were lost before the hurricane made landfall
Property damage
Power outages
3.4 million customers
3.3 million customers
Infrastructure damage Almost 10 000 km of roads, more than 1000 roads, water and sewerage systems impacted, electrical
Bridges, roads and public utilities suffered significant damage
Economic loss
$200 billion (estimated)
$180 billion (estimated)
Fatalities Tornadoes
230
17 (estimated)
6 — including one with peak winds of 250 km/h — leading to significant property damage
126 tornado warnings with 46 forming — three with winds of up to 290 km/h — leading to significant property damage
The combined impacted area of both Hurricanes Milton and Helene span a radius of around 805 km from the centre of each storm. Significant impact was experienced in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, and North and South Carolina. Some states bordering these areas experienced localised flooding.
Recovery
In the aftermath of Hurricanes Milton and Helene, more than 13 000 people were housed in temporary shelters and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has provided more than 11 million meals and 9.6 litres of water to those impacted. Additionally the FEMA worked with state and local authorities to remove debris from public roads and open areas. The recovery effort was expected to last several years due to the extensive damage to infrastructure, private homes, businesses and local communities. The federal government provided more than $2 billion in financing assistance with around half going to those directly impacted to assist with repairs, rebuilding and the replacement of personal property.
FIGURE8 Heavy rain and storm surges due to Hurricane Milton caused extensive flooding.
328 Jacaranda Humanities Alive 7 Victorian Curriculum Third Edition
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