MEZIESBLOG

Hurricane Milton’s arrival is coming at a vulnerable moment for many Americans.

I recently returned from North Carolina, one of multiple states in turmoil after Hurricane Helene ripped through the US’s south-east less than two weeks ago.

At least 225 people have so far been confirmed killed by the storm, which also hit South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia. North Carolina saw some of the most severe damage and had the highest death toll – killing at least 116 in the state.

Driving through the state’s renowned mountainous western region, I saw entire buildings reduced to rubble, massive trees split into pieces, and power lines strewn across streets lined with piles of rubbish.

Cinda Galgano, whose home was among a dozen in a trailer park that was wrecked by flood waters, said she had to be rescued by boat. She returned to her home in Boone days later, where we met.

Standing in the living room, floor covered in mud and belongings scattered everywhere, she told me: “The bed, the mattress is ruined. The floors are buckling in. Water went into my refrigerator, my dryer. It got into everything.”

The freshness of Helene’s wounds is certainly still on the minds of those in Florida, as Milton draws nearer. “Unfortunately, some of the Helene victims are in the path of this storm,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said at a press conference yesterday.

Flights from UK to Florida cancelled

Virgin Atlantic has joined a long list of airlines that are suspending flights to Florida due to the approaching hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico.

Virgin said the flights had been cancelled due to “adverse weather conditions expected to be caused by Hurricane Milton”.

Two Virgin flights between Heathrow and Tampa scheduled for Tuesday were cancelled.

Nine more flights scheduled for Wednesday have also been cancelled, including flights between Orlando and Manchester.

Thursday’s closures will also affect flights leaving from Edinburgh in Scotland.

Virgin Atlantic advises that people check the status of their flights before heading to the airport.