Saudi embassy in US issues advisory to citizens on Hurricane Milton

The Kingdom’s embassy in the US issued an emergency advisory to Saudis in Florida and neighboring states as Hurricane Milton restrengthened to a Category 5 as it barreled toward the state on Tuesday.

The embassy asked Saudis to follow guidelines by state authorities in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas.

As of 3 a.m. Saudi time, the storm was more than 700 kilometers southwest of Tampa, with winds of 265 kph, and is expected to make landfall some time on Wednesday or Thursday.

Authorities have told millions to evacuate before it hits land as Milton is said to be the strongest storm in the Gulf of Mexico since 2005.

President Joe Biden, who postponed a foreign trip to Europe and Africa, also urged residents to flee what he said could be the worst natural disaster in the state for a century.

“It’s a matter of life and death, and that’s not hyperbole,” he said.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis confirmed the Biden administration had provided all that he had asked for and said thousands of National Guard personnel will be activated to help during the crisis.

Last month Hurricane Helene, Category 4, hit the Big Bend region of Florida, killing more than 200 people and causing nearly $40 billion worth of damage. Helene was the deadliest to hit the US mainland since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

The embassy issued the following emergency numbers (202) 746-3555, (202) 746-0666, (202) 746-9777 and (202) 746-2888.