“It\u2019s that same message we\u2019re hearing from officials: Write your name, write your number, write someone else\u2019s number, your date of birth on you.”\n
Florida officials are not mincing words ahead of Hurricane Milton \u2014 the Category 5 storm that is predicted to make landfall near Tampa Bay on Wednesday \u2014 and they\u2019ve warned residents who refuse mandatory evacuation orders to take steps to make sure that their bodies can be identified if the worst should happen.\n
A number of counties have imposed mandatory evacuation orders and Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) has already declared a State of Emergency for 51 counties throughout the state \u2014 many of which are still reeling from the impact of Hurricane Helene less than two weeks earlier.\n
Still, there are always some residents who either can\u2019t or won\u2019t leave their homes \u2014 and officials like Attorney General Ashley Moody have warned those remaining behind that they could die in the storm, and to write their names, phone numbers, or relatives\u2019 names on their bodies in permanent marker to aid in identification.\n
\u201cYou probably need to write your name in permanent marker on your arm so that people know who you are when they get to you afterwards,\u201d she said at a news conference. \u201cAnd we are still seeing, as we\u2019re uncovering folks on the beach who thought they could stay there and the storm surge got them.\u201d\n
\u201cIf you remain there, you could die,\u201d Hillsborough County Fire Chief Jason Dougherty said at another press conference. \u201cMy men and women could die trying to rescue you.\u201d\n
In other counties, mandatory evacuations are likely to be more strictly enforced. Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri explained, \u201cIn the past, mandatory evacuation orders have been issued, and bars stay open, restaurants stay open, people are just going about their business in stores,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s not going to happen this time, and we\u2019re going to shut you down, because we can\u2019t have the tragedy that we had a week and a half ago.\u201d\n
The storm surge from Hurricane Milton is predicted to be between 10-15 feet in the Tampa Bay area, and could be the worst storm to make landfall there in a century.\n
\nBREAKING: The storm surge for Hurricane Milton is expected to be 15 feet.\n
To give you an idea of how deadly this is, here's what 9 feet looks like:pic.twitter.com\/0SxfrA9XK3 https:\/\/t.co\/56ZLtpOIbi\n
— Financelot (@FinanceLancelot) October 8, 2024\n