Hurricane Milton prompts heightened fear among families in Tampa, Florida

In the United States, as Hurricane Milton approaches, Guðmundur Guðmundsson and his family are preparing to stay at their home in Tampa, Florida. This marks the eighth hurricane season for the family, but they report feeling worse than ever before.

Guðmundur, who lives with his wife and three children about 20 kilometers from the coast, is bracing for the significant storm surge expected with Milton. Although their home is not in an evacuation zone, he mentioned that the community is on edge due to the recent impact of Hurricane Helena, which struck two weeks earlier. “There are incredible stories. Some people found fish in their pools and jellyfish on their living room floors the day after the storm,” he said.

Guðmundur observed that residents seem to be taking Hurricane Milton more seriously than Helena. “No one wants to be in the position many were in then. Those who thought they could ride it out ended up perishing as their homes filled with water,” he noted.

The destruction caused by Hurricane Helena is still tremendous, with belongings scattered instead of people on the sidewalks for many kilometers. Guiding his assessment, Guðmundur described the experience of a hurricane as akin to the worst weather conditions in Iceland but significantly more intense.

“Everything creaks. You feel the house shake when strong gusts hit, reminding me of my childhood in Iceland. Yet it’s surreal because it’s so hot, and there are palm trees outside. It feels strange to look out during the storm,” he remarked.

The atmosphere this time is notably different for the family, who have lived in Florida since 2017. “We’ve never felt this bad during a hurricane season,” he concluded.