A NASA astronaut captured a unique glimpse of the tropical storm set to hit landfall in Florida by Wednesday night
Florida is bracing as Hurricane Milton is set to reach landfall in the state by Wednesday evening, but as the storm continues its approach, an astronaut captured a devastatingly astonishing time-lapse of the hurricane live from the window of a spacecraft on Tuesday.
NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick, who is currently on board the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavor, posted the video on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday, showing a rare glimpse of the storm only an astronaut could catch in person. Dominick has posted similarly breathtaking shots of auroras and comets in recent days, but this latest shot is unique given the devastation Milton may bring in the coming days.
With the Category 4 Hurricane approaching Florida by Wednesday night, officials have issued dire warnings to residents in Florida imploring them to evacuate before it’s too late. Sarasota Mayor Liz Alpert warned earlier Tuesday that the hurricane is “not survivable.” Tampa Mayor Jane Castor warned Monday night that “if you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you’re gonna die.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a warning Tuesday morning that “time is running out” to evacuate. “But you do have time today to heed any evacuation orders and do what you need to do to protect yourself and our families,” he said.
Milton’s landfall will come about two weeks after much of the Southeastern U.S. had been devastated by Hurricane Helene. Cities including Ashville, North Carolina were heavily damaged, and residents lost power and phone service. More than 200 people are confirmed dead. Following the destruction, several artists including Ben Folds, Luke Combs, Eric Church, and Sturgill Simpson have confirmed they’d play benefit shows to help raise money for relief efforts.