As Milton approaches Florida, many cities in its path are still littered with debris strewn by Hurricane Helene – piles of wood, steel and other materials that could become dangerous projectiles in Milton’s powerful winds and block the paths of emergency crews.
“You get hit with a major hurricane, what’s going to happen to that debris? It’s going to increase the damage dramatically,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Sunday.
Crews in Florida are working around the clock to remove the debris ahead of Milton’s arrival. DeSantis has ordered all disaster management sites to remain open 24/7 and has directed state agencies to assist local clean-up efforts. More than 800 National Guard personnel have also been deployed for debris removal, but DeSantis said there would soon be up to 4,000 available.
Here’s what it looks like in Milton’s path:
Tampa Bay
Tampa could receive up to three months’ worth of rain as Milton hits, and crews there are working day and night to clear debris ahead of the storm’s arrival, Mayor Jane Castor told CNN.
The sheer volume of waste to be collected means some crews in the city of Clearwater are pulling up to 12-hour days, the city’s solid waste director, Kervin St. Aimie, told CNN affiliate Spectrum Bay News 9.
Pasco County
Just north of Tampa in Pasco County, officials have declared a local state of emergency and issued evacuation orders for flood-prone areas and residents living in mobile homes and RVs. Officials worry that the excess debris left by Helen will make it even more difficult for rescue crews to navigate blocked roads.
“With this storm, Milton, and the storm surge we’re going to get, the debris that we still have outstanding laying on the sides of the roads are going to cause issues. Fire rescue, sheriff’s office and first responders might not be able to navigate roads to come rescue you,” county emergency management director Andy Fossa said.
Anna Maria Island
Towering walls of debris flank the streets of Anna Maria Island – about 60 miles south of Tampa – and piles of jagged drywall, appliances, dressers, mattresses and broken beams are being stuffed into dumpsters, video recorded by resident Jose Erbella shows. Bulldozers are cruising the roads to help shovel debris, Erbella said.
“We have mountains and mountains of garbage,” Erbella told CNN on Sunday. “It seems like everyone’s ground floor is now out on the street because of the last storm.”
CNN’s Dakin Andone, Melissa Alonso and Sarah Dewberry contributed to this report.