Florida residents brace for Hurricane Milton

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – Hurricane Milton is forecast to make landfall in Florida Wednesday night as the state is still recovering from Hurricane Helene.

President Joe Biden was scheduled to visit Germany and Africa, but he cancelled the trip to focus on what he’s warned could be the worst storm to hit Florida in a century.

After a brush with the Yucatan Peninsula, in Mexico, Hurricane Milton is now getting stronger as it heads toward Florida.

Eleven counties with nearly six million people are under mandatory evacuations leading to backups on the interstate and at the gas station.

“If you’re under evacuation orders, you should evacuate now. Now. Now,” said Biden.

Forecasters expect Hurricane Milton will make landfall in Florida less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene.

236 people have died from Helene across six states, including Florida.

Governor Ron DeSantis says leftover debris could become airborne when Milton arrives.

“The more debris we can get picked up, the less damage is going to happen,” said DeSantis.

Less than a month before this year’s presidential election former president Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris weighed in.

“The response has been very weak. Unbelievably weak,” said Trump.

Harris said this is not the time for political games.

“The idea that somebody would be playing political games for the sake of himself. But this is so consistent about Donald Trump,” said Harris.

As the candidates argue on the trail, the people who live in the storm zone live in fear.

“We’re being told we need to leave, but we’re scared. Are we making the right decision?” Florida resident Robert Zastudil asked.

The Pentagon says they’ve moved high water vehicles and helicopters to Georgia ahead of the storm in Florida and they’ve also activated 5,000 Florida National Guard members that’s on top of the 1500 active-duty soldiers in North Carolina right now helping with the cleanup.

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