A recent simulation has demonstrated the immense destructive power that Hurricane Milton could potentially bring.
Understanding the full scope of an extreme weather event or natural disaster can often be challenging.
The hurricane that is currently approaching the Florida Peninsula has been upgraded to a category 5 hurricane.
Millions have been evacuated from areas deemed vulnerable before the storm’s expected landfall.
The National Hurricane Center has issued a warning to residents in at-risk areas, describing it as an ‘extremely life-threatening situation’.
Weather expert John Cangialosi cautioned: “Milton has the potential to be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida.”
The Weather Channel transformed this forecast into a chilling simulation.
The phrase ‘storm surge’ hardly conveys the might depicted in the simulation.
The Weather Channel has previously released simulations concerning Hurricane Milton, highlighting the event’s potential for destruction.
An older video from 2018 featuring category five hurricane Michael has resurfaced, showcasing the impact of a storm surge.
In the video, a reporter stands on a grey circle amidst a digital recreation of a suburban area.
The water level gradually rises around the reporter, who describes the potential effects of such a level.
As the water ascends, the digital houses and vehicles in the vicinity are submerged.
More worryingly, the water rises to the point where it towers above the reporter, reaching a peak depth of about nine feet.
Describing the different levels, the reporter noted: “Imagine three feet of storm surge right here. Now if this amount of water catches you by surprise it’s too late to evacuate.”
“Cars are floating around and floating away, there’s large objects in here that could knock things down with a battering ram like force.
“There’s no way to evacuate, but we know there’s going to be places with more than three feet.”
The reporter then raises his hands as the water level continues to climb to six feet.
“This completely floods out the first floor of homes and businesses, the only way to escape that is to move to the higher floor of the building.”
He further explains that some areas are forecasted to experience even higher levels.
“Unfortunately there are going to be places that get more than six feet,” he mentions.
The water eventually rises to nine feet, prompting the reporter to warn: “This is practically not survivable, so please follow the advice of your local officials when they ask you to evacuate.”
Certain forecasts suggest that Hurricane Milton may cause storm surges as high as 15 feet in parts of Florida.