Florida meteorologist breaks down in tears on live TV as he warns people about 'monster' Hurricane Milton

Cleon Dixon, a store owner in Sarasota, Southwest Florida, was organizing merchandise from her store when a flood triggered by Hurricane Helene swallowed up the nearby region. Like many others, she was still recovering from the storm that ravaged the entire city, when meteorologists signaled the arrival of Hurricane Milton, which is about to unleash another bout of destruction in Florida. John Morales, a meteorologist for Miami’s local NBC affiliate, broke down on air while warning people about the calamity as it would be too much for them to endure, as per MSNBC News.

In September 2024, Morales published a report in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists writing that Hurricane Helene’s growth and destruction wasn’t exaggerated, but a “harbinger of the future.” That gloomy future has already cast a shadow over his city in the form of the upcoming Hurricane Milton. His previous attempts to warn people of a cataclysmic storm were mocked by experts, but now that the threat hovers above everyone's heads, Morales is profoundly devastated by it.

Currently, Milton is moving east from the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico and on its way to make landfall between October 9 and October 10, on Florida’s west coast, most probably in the Tampa Bay Area. It’s expected to be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida, per NBC News. “It’s just an incredible, incredible, incredible hurricane,” Morales said in the discussion. Estimating the strength of Milton, he added, “It has dropped 50 millibars in 10 hours.” He described the storm’s massive drop in air pressure with his voice wavering, and then tears started pouring from his eyes. “Umm, I apologize,” he said, “This is just horrific.”

Morales explained that the hot temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico are fuelling the hurricane. “Maximum sustained winds are 160 mph. And it is just gaining strength in the Gulf of Mexico where the winds — I mean, the seas, are just so, incredibly, incredibly hot. Record hot, as you might imagine,” he said, and added, “Even though it is expected to weaken on approach, it is so incredibly strong right now that you’re going to find it very difficult for it to be nothing less than a major hurricane when it makes landfall in Florida.”

Meanwhile, NBC News reported that President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for Florida and authorized the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to coordinate disaster relief. Evacuation orders were issued to the locals of Florida, especially those living in parts of Lee, Hillsborough, and Sarasota Counties.

Reflecting on the root cause behind these intensely catastrophic storms becoming more frequent in this region, Morales said, “You know what’s driving that. I don’t need to tell you: global warming, climate change [are] leading to this and becoming an increasing threat for the Yucatan, including Merida and Progreso and other areas there.” He went on to write in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists report that it’s an urgent situation that requires quick and intelligent decision-making, since, “Extreme weather events, including hurricanes, are becoming more extreme. I must communicate the growing threats from the climate crisis come hell or high water—pun intended.”

Hurricane Milton is a developing story, and we’ll update as we learn more. Information is swiftly changing and GOOD is committed to providing the most recent and verified updates in our articles and reportage. However, considering the frequency of developments, some of the information/data in this article may have changed since the time of publication.