//The Wire//2300Z October 7, 2024//

//ROUTINE//

//BLUF: HURRICANE MILTON STRENGTHENS TO CATEGORY 5. PROBABLE TERROR ATTACK THWARTED IN TEXAS. NEW ZEALAND WARSHIP SINKS IN PACIFIC.//

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-International Events-

New Zealand: Last night the HMNZS Manawanui sank off the coast of the Samoan island of Upolu while conducting a reef survey. The reef was located upon the Manawanui running aground, which caused the ship to catch fire and capsize. The crew abandoned ship and were rescued from lifeboats a few hours later. No casualties were reported.

-HomeFront-

Texas: Sunday morning a potential mass shooting was thwarted by security teams at the Church at the Epicenter in Burnet County. Two men of Middle-Eastern descent wearing Islamic head coverings approached the church armed with rifles, prompting at least one security guard to engage the men, who fled from the scene in a white van. AC: Both men remain at large, and the incident remains under investigation. This attack took place one day before the October 7th anniversary of the war in the Middle East.

Gulf Coast: Hurricane Milton has rapidly intensified into a Category 5 hurricane and is expected to make landfall on the west coast of Florida by Wednesday. Local evacuations of areas prone to flooding have been recommended by authorities at all levels, and varying states of emergency have already been declared throughout Florida.

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Analyst Comments: The track of Hurricane Milton is unusual, with the storm moving west-to-east from the Gulf of Mexico, into the Atlantic. As such, considering the kinetic nature of this hurricane season it would be exceptionally wise for the American southeast (Florida in particular) to prepare for more devastation than normal. Hurricanes are synonymous with life in Florida, but since resources throughout the region are already spread thin and compromised, another gargantuan rescue and recovery effort will take some time if it is needed.

Analyst: S2A1

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