FloodFX Simulation Shows How Life-threatening Hurricane Milton’s Floodwaters Can Be -- Watch

Hurricane Milton, which made landfall near Siesta Key, Florida, as a dangerous Category 3 storm has now weakened to Category 1, CNN reported. A day before it made landfall, a detailed depiction of how horrible the flood water could get was shown on news platforms across the US. The Weather Channel has incorporated FloodFX animation to show the effects of the floodwaters of Hurricane Milton.

Flooding could go up to three, six and even nine feet and presenter Stephanie Abrams walked the audience through the impacts of this disaster. At a depth of three feet, it becomes lethal; at six feet, cars can be carried away, and buildings start to collapse; at nine feet, the first floors of houses are flooded, leaving few safe areas.

“Let’s focus in on the Tampa Bay area where we could see a record-setting surge over nine feet,” Abrams tells The Weather Channel viewers. “Anything could be in this water – sharp glass, debris, chemicals. Some areas could then see surge values at 10 to 15 feet,” she adds.

Abram said that at nine feet, the first floor of buildings gets submerged and there is no place that is safe when structures are submerged with water. Residents should be aware of evacuation zones, follow the instructions from local authorities and evacuate if necessary. She also adds that the picture will not be of smooth water; the water can either be wavy or there can even be white caps inland.

Ahead of the landfall, authorities imposed compulsory evacuation of millions of the Florida population.

The National Hurricane Center described the storm surge in relation to Hurricane Milton as “life-threatening”. The problem is further compounded by the fact that most of Florida’s Gulf Coast has a comparatively thin continental shelf, which results in the storm waters flooding and infiltrating the region faster. Experts advised that this geographical feature poses the threat of releasing levels of floods that are unprecedented.

Hurricanes have become more dangerous due to global warming and the increase in ocean temperatures as illustrated in this phenomenon.

As cited in BBC, meteorologist Philip Klotzbach said that it is rare to observe the formation of three storms simultaneously at this time of the year.