Around two weeks after several states in the South East of the USA were swamped by the deadly Hurricane Helene, a new storm is preparing to make landfall.
Hurricane Milton, which has been listed as a Category 5 storm, has continued to strengthen as it has churned through the Gulf of Mexico toward the state of Florida.
The storm is predicted to pass through the built-up Tampa Bay area, which is home to around 3.3 million people. Per AP, this will be the area's first major hurricane for over 100 years.
Many other surrounding areas are expected to be devastated by the storm.
The dangers of this storm are very real. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor told residents this week: "The No. 1 message, as it has been for several days now, is that you need to prepare, do whatever you need to do and then get out of the evacuation zones."
She then emphasized, per The Hill: "This is literally catastrophic, and I can say without any dramatization whatsoever: If you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you’re going to die."
In an attempt to further highlight the incoming dangers, The Weather Channel adopted FloodFX simulation technology to show viewers the devastation that resident could be facing.
Meteorologist Stephanie Abrams revealed what a nine feet surge will look like in the Tampa Bay Area, and the simulation is terrifying. Check it out below:
"At three feet above normally dry ground, water is already life-threatening. It's too late to evacuate," Abrams began. "Water this high can knock you off your feet, make cars float, and driving impossible. The first floor of homes and businesses are flooded.
"Unfortunately the water is expected to rise even higher at six feet, above the height of most people. Vehicles get carried away, structures start to fail," she continued.
"Anything can be in this water, sharp glass, debris, chemicals as well."
Abrams then warned that some areas could see "surge values at 10 to 15 feet", before explaining: "At this level, the first floors of structures are completely flooded and there are few places that it is safe when the water rises this high."
X users described the simulation as " absolutely terrifying", with one person writing: "God bless and protect all habitants of the region."
President Biden has also warned Floridians that evacuation orders are a matter of "life and death", with traffic on Tuesday thick as locals attempted to flee the Tampa area.
The National Hurricane Center has also warned the nation that Hurricane Milton could be "one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida".
This new threat comes after more than 200 deaths were reported across several states as a result of Hurricane Helene.
To everybody impacted by this storm, please do whatever you can to stay safe.
