Tampa Mayor ahead of Hurricane Milton: “If you choose to stay… you are going to die” – National & International News – 8Oct2024

Tampa Mayor ahead of Hurricane Milton: “If you choose to stay… you are going to die”.

EPA announces rule requiring replacement of all lead pipes in a decade.

Tampa Mayor ahead of Hurricane Milton: “If you choose to stay… you are going to die”

Jane Castor, the Mayor of Tampa, FL, issued a dire warning to residents of her city where Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall tomorrow night. She urged them to pay heed to local evacuation orders, and added: “I can say without any dramatization whatsoever: If you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you’re going to die”.

Catastrophic and deadly storm surges of 10-15 feet are expected to hit Tampa if Milton makes a direct hit as predicted. These surges will begin coming in even before Milton comes ashore. Tampa is particularly vulnerable to catastrophic floods and damage from a hurricane because of its unusual shoreline. Much of Florida’s West Coast will also experience lesser but still significant and dangerous surges.

Yesterday, Milton had strengthened to a Category 5 as the center was still well out into the Gulf of Mexico. It is now a strong Category 4. Meteorologists expect it to weaken somewhat ahead of landfall, but this is difficult to predict as the power of the storm is waxing and waning as it traverses the Gulf.

Milton is also bringing with it a massive storm system which currently blankets almost the entire Gulf. The storm is expected to traverse Florida and then head out to the Atlantic, bringing heavy rains and high winds across the entire state. Even areas hundreds of miles north of Florida are also likely to be in danger of flooding. President Biden warned today that Milton has the potential to be one of the worst storms to hit the US in 100 years. 

Click here for the full story (opens in new tab).

EPA announces rule requiring replacement of all lead pipes in a decade

The Biden administration announced the finalization of a rule on lead contamination of water supplies, first proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency last year. The finalized rule sets a 10-year deadline for US cities to remove all the lead piping in their water supply. The EPA is also tightening restrictions on what amount of lead in water requires action, from 15 parts per billion to 10. Scientists and health experts insist that there is no “safe” level of lead to consume. Lead causes all kinds of health issues affecting vital organs and the nervous system. Children and babies are particularly vulnerable. Lead exposure at a young age can cause lifelong health issues including learning disabilities and behavioral problems. 

The EPA estimates that once the rules are implemented, it will prevent 900,000 infants per year being born with low birthweight. The change could also prevent up to 1,500 premature deaths a year from heart disease.

The 2021 Infrastructure Law contained $50 billion to upgrade the country’s water infrastructure, with $15 billion set aside to spend over five years to replace lead pipes.

Among the many cities across the US that still have lead piping is Jackson, MS. Jackson has experienced increasing problems with its water system over the years, and these problems are compounded by lead piping which affects the health of its residents.

Click here for the full story (opens in new tab).