Florida To 'Bear the Brunt' Of Impacts From Incoming Storm
NewsweekSep 23
After Helene, Florida Braces for Hurricane Milton
Above: Trucks in Pinellas County, Fla., clear debris left by Hurricane Helene ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Milton Image copyright: Bryan R. Smith/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images
The Facts
Hurricane Milton on Monday strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane as it headed toward the Tampa, Fla., area that less than two weeks ago was devastated by Hurricane Helene.
The hurricane is expected to hit the Tampa Bay area Wednesday before passing over or near Orlando. Florida officials warned residents to prepare for the "largest evacuation" since Hurricane Irma in 2017.
The Spin
Narrative A
As long as man-made climate change is allowed to proliferate with little done to oppose it, the threat of these types of storms will continue. More must be done to battle climate change because as long as the oceans and atmosphere continue warming, there will be fuel for extreme rainfall, catastrophic flooding, and destructive winds.
Narrative B
It's unfortunate that a historic storm is about to hit the coast of Florida, but this isn't about man-made climate change. The frequency and intensity of these storms haven't increased in recent decades according to meteorological analysis. More must be done to create better evacuation policies and protect areas where more people are choosing to live than ever before — humans are choosing to reside in harm's way.