Urgent Evacuation Advisories Amidst Hurricane Milton
As Hurricane Milton loomed closer, U.S. President Joe Biden urgently advised Floridians in evacuation zones to evacuate immediately on Tuesday. Adding to the gravity, Tampa’s mayor issued a dire warning to residents, stating that those who decide to remain “are going to die” due to the hurricane’s expected severe impacts. However, the reality of evacuating is proving to be a significant challenge for many, as soaring prices for hotels and flights complicate their escape plans.
Florida law prohibits businesses from hiking prices during emergencies like Hurricane Milton. Yet, as evacuation efforts intensified along Florida’s western coast starting Monday, numerous reports emerged about airlines and hotels in nearby states significantly raising their prices.
For instance, a Hampton Inn in Brunswick, Georgia, was charging $617 for a Wednesday night stay, the day Milton was forecasted to strike. In contrast, as The Daily Mail reported, the price for the same room in mid-November would typically be around $131.
Similarly, Hilton properties in Kingsland, Georgia, raised their room rates to more than double their usual pricing. A Marriott hotel, where the regular rate is about $94 per night, was asking $548 per night—and over $700 for those needing parking.
Exorbitant Airfare and Hotel Rates Hinder Evacuation Efforts
Amidst the chaos, one frustrated individual shared a video on social media explaining the difficulty of evacuating due to prohibitive costs, which he warned would be infuriating to viewers. He highlighted the price of one-way flights from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to Columbus, Ohio, which were ranging from $812 to $2,199 per person.
He also mentioned that his wife’s flight scheduled for the following morning at 7:00 am was canceled. The only remaining flights were out of Ft. Lauderdale, where prices were being drastically increased.
A pro-worker group, More Perfect Union, documented instances of alleged price gouging by airlines, including flights from Tampa, where passengers faced the risk of devastating storm surges, with fares exceeding $1,405.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg acknowledged the issue, stating that his department was monitoring the situation closely to ensure that airlines did not engage in unfair pricing practices amid the crisis.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody had previously activated the state’s price gouging hotline (1-866-966-7226). Despite this, reports of price gouging had already surfaced during last month’s Hurricane Helene in Florida and other states, all of which have laws against such emergency exploitation.
Additionally, evacuees encountered further challenges on Tuesday, including a significant shortage of fuel. Around 16% of gas stations statewide and 43% in the Tampa area reported being out of fuel, complicating evacuation efforts even further.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Milton was categorized as a Category 4 hurricane, boasting winds of 155 miles per hour. Although it had slightly weakened from Monday’s 175 miles per hour winds, forecasters noted a resurgence in its intensity. Meteorologists were particularly alarmed by the rapid strengthening of the hurricane, attributed to unusually high temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean.
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