Tampa Mayor Has Blunt Warning for Those Choosing to Stay During Storm Milton's Landing: 'You Are Gonna Die'

Authorities have issued a stern warning to Florida civilians, who are thinking about ignoring evacuation orders regarding Hurricane Milton, now a Category 5 storm. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor directly told Tampa Bay residents that they would 'die' if they ignored evacuation orders by the government, Newsweek reported.

Castor urged the public to move away or they would face dire consequences, CNN reported. The mayor further added that, in the past, many residents had chosen to "ride out" the storms in the area, but this time taking that step could prove to be fatal. "I can tell you right now they might have done that in others, there’s never been one like this," she said. 

Florida is still reeling from the disastrous consequences of Hurricane Helene that ripped through the Sunshine State just last week, the New York Post reported. Now the state is putting reinforcements in place to deal with another similar storm in the form of Hurricane Milton. "There's never been one like this," Castor said, CNN reported. "Helene was a wake-up call, this is literally catastrophic."

Authorities have pointed out certain areas in Tampa Bay as evacuation zones, CNN reported. Castor claimed that if people do not get out of these zones, then they could lose their lives. "I can say without any dramatization whatsoever: If you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you're gonna die," she stated. 

Castor stated that Milton would result in a tidal surge of 10-12 feet, CNN reported. She added that Helene caused a surge of just six feet, and proved disastrous for the area. "This is something that I’ve never seen in my life and I can tell you anyone born and raised in the Tampa Bay area has never seen anything like this before," she stressed. "People need to get out."

Milton has been predicted to hit Tampa Bay by October 15, then move east across Florida, and make an exit into the Atlantic Ocean, Newsweek reported. While the storm was traveling through the Gulf of Mexico, it intensified into a Category 5 Storm, the most severe kind. "Some of the predictions are saying that Pinellas County, to the south of us, the entire county is going to be underwater," Castor said.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has provided funds as well as resources to Florida, to help authorities in dealing with the predicted consequences of Hurricane Milton, Newsweek reported. The agency has also requested the civilians to pay heed to evacuation orders. "FEMA understands that people in the path of this storm may still be recovering from hurricanes Helene and Debby and urges everyone to protect themselves and take care of others because time is running out to prepare for the hurricane's potentially deadly impacts," the agency stated.