Florida Pinoys witness wrath of Hurricane Milton

Filipinos in Florida were among those who experienced the impact of Hurricane Milton that devastated parts of the state in the southeastern United States.

According to a 24 Oras report by Bernadette Reyes on Thursday, some Filipinos were located at the south of Tampa Bay, where strong winds and rain of the Category 5 hurricane caused floods that inundated coastal communities.

“Grabe po rito ang hangin, napakalakas at saka po ang ulan. Ang iba pong areas, lalo na ang mga coastline at yung malapit sa dagat, ‘yun talaga ang bumaha. Nilagyan po ng mga shutter yung windows ng mga bahay para hindi po mabasag yung mga window,” said Tampa Bay resident Judith Batac Dibella.

(The wind and rain were really fierce. Some areas, especially along the coastline near the water, were flooded.Shutters were placed on the windows of the houses so they won’t shatter.)

Judith added it was the strongest hurricane that she has experienced in her 4 years living in the US.

This was echoed by fellow Filipina Jowena Roberts, who has been living in Orlando for the past 7 years.

“Ramdam na po namin yung hangin… Eto po yung first time na monster, na malaki talaga [na hurricane]. Inaalert po nila kami from time to time, tornado warning, yung evacuation... Sinesend nila yung warning, yung evacuation address kung saan pupunta,” shared Jowena.

(We really feel the wind… This is the first time it was of monstrous size, a really big [hurricane]. We receive alerts from time to time, tornado warning, evacuation… They send us the warning, the evacuation address where we have to go.)

There are still no reported casualties resulting from Milton, but authorities continue to release warnings of hazards caused by the hurricane.

Milton struck the US mainland several days after Hurricane Helene affected parts of the country. It has been named the third-fastest intensifying storm on record in the Atlantic Ocean.

Hurricane Milton caused almost zero-visibility due to the heavy rain and strong winds that hurled debris in the air and toppled trees as well as electric posts, resulting in road and infrastructure damage.

More than 1 million houses and establishments have already reportedly lost power due to the storm.

Hurricane Milton is expected to pass through the Florida Peninsula before moving towards the Atlantic.
—Jiselle Anne Casucian/RF, GMA Integrated News