This handout satellite image courtesy of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Regional and Mesoscale Meteorology Branch shows Hurricane Milton churning over the Gulf of Mexico on October 7, 2024. (Photo by AFP)
MANILA, Philippines — No Filipino in the United States was reported affected by category 5 Hurricane Milton as of Wednesday, according to Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo Jose de Vega.
“Our embassy in Washington, DC, said that no Filipino was reported affected as of now. Not only in Florida, but also in North Carolina,” he said in Filipino at the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefing.
READ: What to know about Hurricane Milton as it moves toward Florida’s Gulf Coast
De Vega added that the Philippine government is monitoring the situation of Filipinos in areas affected by the hurricane.
Milton is threatening the populated Tampa metro area, home to more than 3.3 million people.
Based on the National Hurricane Center’s Live Hurricane Tracker, Milton may make landfall on the west coast of Florida late Wednesday (US time).
Category 5 is the highest classification on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
According to the National Weather Service, category 5 hurricanes are forecast to cause catastrophic damage.
“A high percentage of framed homes will be destroyed, with total roof failure and wall collapse. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last for weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months,” it said.