The mayor of Tampa, a city in the sights of Hurricane Milton, issued a stark warning to Florida residents who are ignoring calls to evacuate ahead of the monster storm.
“If you choose to stay … you’re going to die,” Mayor Jane Castor said on CNN as she talked about the dangers of Milton, a “literally catastrophic” Category 5 hurricane barreling toward the Florida coast.
The powerful storm could hit Florida as early as Wednesday and could be more destructive than the deadly Hurricane Helen that hit the US last week.
I live in Sarasota, which is in the direct path of Hurricane Milton.
They are evacuating my town, but there is no gas left to evacuate, and traffic is so bad that it could be more dangerous to try and evacuate at this point.
What would you do if you were me? pic.twitter.com/8jLcv90Pev
— Kayla Cardillo (@kaylacardillo) October 7, 2024
Castor stressed that trying to ride out the storm could prove fatal. The time to flee is now, she urged residents in evacuation zones.
Helen was a wake-up call, it’s literally catastrophic,” Castor warns.
“And I can say without any drama, if you choose to stay in one of these evacuation zones, you will die,” Castor said.
HURRICANE MILTON — Wild videos show close-range lightning strikes & storms in Cancun as Hurricane Milton’s outer bands hit.
Hurricane Milton is expected to hit Florida on Wednesday. This catastrophic storm has reached unprecedented intensity, with winds at 180 MPH and gusts… pic.twitter.com/98sb0KZsCF
— News is Dead (@newsisdead) October 8, 2024
Castor, who has been in office since 2019, noted that some of the forecasts call for a tidal surge of 3-4 meters. Helen’s tide was 182 cm.
“And it was literally devastating for so many people in our coastal area,” she said of Helen’s disastrous journey.
Milton is already the second-strongest Gulf hurricane on record — and experts predict it will only get stronger as it approaches Florida. The storm’s winds are already reaching a staggering 180 miles per hour, with heavy rain expected, Vesti said.
Good afternoon everyone,
Just a quick update on Hurricane Milton,
Please be advised that Hurricane Milton is rapidly intensifying and poses a significant threat to the East Coast of Florida. Hurricane and Storm Surge Warnings are now in effect for portions of the region.… pic.twitter.com/M2nauxIB5q
— Kernow Weather Team (@KWTWeather) October 8, 2024
“This is something I have never seen in my life and I can tell you that anyone born and raised in the Tampa Bay area has never seen anything like this before,” she stressed.
Rain and wind blasts Mexico as Hurricane Milton passes through pic.twitter.com/Rh3hQe6oYa
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) October 8, 2024
“People should evacuate,” she added and continued:
🌊🌪️😳 FLORIDA—@BarstoolTrent’s first week living in Florida is when Hurricane Milton is hitting. Trent will be safe, as he is on the other side of Florida. Hope everybody stays safe and follows the evacuation order! pic.twitter.com/Atjervv0mQ
— FORE PLAY TRACKER (@ForePlayTracker) October 8, 2024
“If we have this predicted storm, it’s not survivable,” she reiterated.
NOAA Hurricane Hunters flying through hurricane #Milton pic.twitter.com/04F0G3yiKq
— Mac ‘Merican 🇺🇸 (@McOorah) October 8, 2024