{"id":15191,"date":"2024-10-08T18:29:47","date_gmt":"2024-10-09T01:29:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bradblog.com\/?p=15191"},"modified":"2024-10-08T18:48:06","modified_gmt":"2024-10-09T01:48:06","slug":"becoming-the-norm-florida-braces-evacuates-before-devastating-to-catastrophic-milton-bradcast-1082024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bbnewdb.webbyspice.com\/?p=15191","title":{"rendered":"‘Becoming the Norm’: Florida Braces, Evacuates Before ‘Devastating to Catastrophic’ Milton: ‘BradCast’ 10\/8\/2024"},"content":{"rendered":"

Apparently, it’s Disaster Month on The BradCast<\/i><\/a>. And while they are, so far, nominally, “natural disasters”, they are all made worse, more ferocious, more expensive and more deadly thanks to the global warming caused by the man-made burning of fossil fuels and the lawmakers who have, for decades, ignored and\/or lied about both the science and the warnings. [Audio link to full show follows this summary.<\/i>]<\/p>\n

Millions are (hopefully) fleeing Florida<\/b> today as Category 5 Hurricane Milton<\/b> bears down<\/a> on its central Gulf Coast, with an “eye” toward landfall on Wednesday night in or near Tampa<\/b>. A direct hit there could result in unspeakable damage. And it all comes just over a week since Hurricane Helene<\/b> slammed the state before moving on to five others in the U.S. Southeast, leaving a trail of destruction and at least 230 dead<\/a> in its wake. <\/p>\n

The National Weather Service<\/b>‘s warning<\/a> about Milton today is terrifying, describing “potential impacts” of the storm surge, wind, and rainfall flooding as anywhere from “Devastating to Catastrophic” in several cities along the state’s central West Coast. Yesterday, Tampa’s Mayor Jane Castor<\/b> was blunt when she warned<\/a> residents: “If you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re going to die.”<\/p>\n

Like last week’s Hurricane Helene, Milton experienced rapid intensification, spinning up from a Cat 1 to a Cat 5 in less than a day as it traversed record hot waters in the Gulf of Mexico<\/b>, thanks to anthropogenic climate change. The monster system’s sudden drop in pressure over the Gulf yesterday momentarily choked up<\/a> NBC Miami’s Chief Meteorologist, Jim Morales<\/b>, as he described the ” incredible, incredible, incredible hurricane,” seemingly taking in what he was seeing, what it meant for millions in peril in the Sunshine State, and for everyone around the world who will now being seeing similar and worse in the years ahead. “I apologize. This is just horrific,” he added as he composed himself.<\/p>\n

We’re joined today by “Climate Guy” GUY WALTON<\/b>, a 30-year Weather Channel veteran who now tracks daily weather and climate extremes at his Guy on Climate<\/a> website. He is also the author of “World of Thermo”<\/a> children’s book series on climate change.<\/p>\n

“I think on top of this hurricane, [Morales] was thinking about hurricanes of the future, and how warm the water temperatures are getting around the planet. It’s going to become the norm,” Walton tells me. He predicts that the cost of a direct hit on the densely populated Tampa region — which has not seen a direct landfall in more than 100 years — could top historic storms such as 2005’s Katrina. “It’s going to be taking a path that could lead to being the most destructive hurricane, dollar-wise, in the US.”<\/p>\n

“Milton is going to bisect Florida in one of the most heavily populated areas, from Tampa to Orlando. We haven’t seen a storm like this go right through Tampa since 1921. The destruction of this thing is going to be awful,” warns Walton. <\/p>\n

We discuss why rapid intensification of so many of these storms is now happening all over the world, and why it can be so dangerous. We discuss who’s to blame for it. (“It’s all our fault.”) We discuss what Project 2025<\/a>‘s threat to privatize the National Weather Service would mean to meteorologists like him, and how the one-two punch of Helene and Milton might affect this year’s Presidential election. <\/p>\n

“After Milton and Helene, which are both going to be attributed to being so bad because of global warming or climate change, I’m hoping that Democrats really pounce on the destruction and really point a finger at just about every Republican.”<\/p>\n

IN RELATED NEWS TODAY…<\/i><\/p>\n