TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — (AP) — Two weeks ago, Hurricane Helene “spared” the Tampa Bay region a direct hit and yet storm surge still caused catastrophic damage, flooding homes, drowning people who decided to stay near the coast and leaving massive piles of debris that still sit along roadsides.
Now that Hurricane Milton, a more powerful storm, is heading straight for the same region, what can residents expect?
“Worse. Much worse,” said former Federal Emergency Management Director Craig Fugate, a Florida resident who previously ran the state’s emergency management division.
The cities near the mouth of Tampa Bay saw some of the worst storm surge in memory during Helene even though the storm landed more than 100 miles (161 kilometers) to the north. Now forecasters say the low-lying region could be hit with 15 feet (5 meters) of storm surge.
“This isn’t water that rises slowly. This is fast-moving water with waves. It’s like a battering ram,” Fugate said. “You just don’t …