Florida is bracing for the devastating impact of Hurricane Milton, with one mayor warning residents: “If you stay … you will die.”
Hurricane Milton's near-record winds and expected massive storm surge could bring destruction to Florida Gulf areas already reeling from Helene's devastation 12 days ago.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor told a press conference on Monday: “This is the real deal here with Milton. If you want to take on Mother Nature, she wins 100% of the time.”
She later added: “If you choose to stay … you are going to die.”
Almost the entirety of Florida's west coast was under a hurricane warning early on Tuesday as the Category 5 storm and its near-record 165 mph winds barrelled toward the state.
Scientists predicted Milton's centre could come ashore Wednesday in the Tampa Bay region, which has not endured a direct hit by a major hurricane since 1921.
While the system is expected to weaken slightly before landfall, it could retain hurricane strength as it churns across central Florida toward the Atlantic Ocean.
US President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for Florida, and Tampa Bay congresswoman Kathy Castor said 7,000 federal workers have been drafted in to help in one of the largest mobilizations of federal personnel in US history.
The Tampa Bay area is still rebounding from last week’s Hurricane Helene which brought walls of water up to 8 feet high.
Twelve people died in the area, with the worst damage along a string of barrier islands from St Petersburg to Clearwater.
Evacuation orders have been issued for communities along the Gulf coast amid fears of a 12-foot storm surge.
The orders means anyone who stays is on their own and first responders are not expected to risk their lives to rescue them at the height of the storm.
A steady stream of vehicles headed north Interstate 75, the main highway on the west side of the peninsula on Monday, with other residents heading for the relative safety of Fort Lauderdale and Miami on the other side of the state.
About 150 miles south of Tampa, Fort Myers Beach was nearly a ghost town by Monday afternoon, with residents racing to get out.
“This whole street used to be filled out with houses,” said Mike Sandell, owner of Pool-Rific Services.
Nearby, Don Girard and his son Dominic worked to batten down the family’s three-storey holiday home that is about 100 feet from the water.
“At Christmas, there is no better place in the world,” he said, but added that increased storms had been a frustration.
“It’s been difficult, I'm not going to lie to you,” he said. “The last couple years have been pretty bad.”
