As Hurricane Milton took aim at Florida just days after Hurricane Helene, Catholic Charities USA launched a dedicated disaster relief donation campaign. Source: NCR Online.
CCUSA – the official domestic relief agency of the Catholic Church in the United States and a member of Caritas Internationalis, the Church’s global network of humanitarian outreaches – announced the fund on Wednesday as Milton churned across the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida with maximum sustained winds of 210 kilometres per hour.
The hurricane fluctuated in intensity and was a Category 4 by midday on Wednesday, but it made landfall as a powerful Category 3 storm at 8:30pm (EST) yesterday near Siesta Key, Florida, a barrier island next to Sarasota. The storm brought heavy rain, strong winds, and powerful storm surges.
Milton flooded neighbourhoods, destroyed homes and ripped the roof off Tropicana Field, home stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team. The field had been set up to shelter first responders.
More than 3.3 million in the state were without power early yesterday and early reports said at least four people had died.
AP reported that ahead of Milton’s landfall, more than 130 tornado warnings associated with the storm were issued by National Weather Services offices in Florida.
Milton hit Florida as the region is still struggling to recover from Hurricane Helene, which killed at least 227 across six states in September.
The National Hurricane Center reported that Milton weakened to a Category 1 storm as it swept through the state “and moved offshore.”
CCUSA said that “one hundred percent of all funds raised will be allocated to local Catholic Charities agencies, which will provide critical relief — including shelter, food and other humanitarian aid — to displaced and suffering members of their communities.”
So far, CCUSA has distributed more than $US1.9 million ($2.8 million) to Catholic Charities agencies in states affected by Hurricane Helene, and the agency said it “will stand by these communities through the long-term recovery.
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Catholic Charities USA launches Hurricane Milton relief fund (By Gina Christian, OSV News via NCR Online)
