The powerful hurricane Milton, approaching the American state of Florida, may intensify to the sixth, officially non-existent category. Newsweek writes about this.
Last Monday, the wind speed in the areas where Milton passed over the Atlantic Ocean reached 290 km/h. On the morning of Tuesday, October 8, it dropped to 250 km/h, but meteorologists do not rule out further strengthening by the time it hits Florida. Milton's approach has been described as “extremely dangerous” and “life-threatening.”
Citing a study published in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in February 2024, Newsweek writes that scientists are proposing to introduce a new, sixth category for hurricanes whose wind speeds reach 310 km/h or higher. Previously, they were observed extremely rarely, but climate change is likely to lead to their more frequent occurrence.
On October 8, it was reported that the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was faced with a shortage of personnel to deal with the devastating consequences of Hurricane Milton. It found that only 9% of FEMA personnel are prepared to deploy assistance during a disaster. Others work in areas affected by Hurricane Helen, floods and tornadoes. At the same time, the agency is experiencing a funding shortage.
