Tampa mayor Jane Castor urged all residents who are within evacuation zones to leave as soon as possible, as Hurricane Milton barrels toward Florida.
According to UNILAD, Castor took to CNN on Monday night to spread her message as far and wide as she possibly could. Hurricane Milton has become a historically dangerous storm as it has developed in the Gulf of Mexico. By Wednesday, the storm is expected to make landfall, and its path has it set directly for Tampa Bay itself.
Such circumstances have Mayor Castor, among many others, begging residents of the area to evacuate. Particularly, Castor warned that regardless of choices made for past storms, Milton poses an entirely different threat. While many have certainly "ridden out" storms in the past, they may not be as lucky with Milton. Moreover, Castor called Milton "literally catastrophic," after mentioning that the recent Hurricane Helene was a "wake-up call."
As the nation is still reeling from the effects of Hurricane Helene, especially in North Carolina and Tennessee, Milton comes at a troubling time. Mayor Castor made clear in her TV spot that those who stay "are going to die." Such a warning is clear and concise, without much opportunity to be misinterpreted.
Tampa Mayor Warns That Choosing To Ride Out Hurricane Milton Will Be Deadly
Castor continued on to explain the actual data behind Milton's historic build-up. Apparently, the storm is expected to produce a ten to twelve-foot surge. Castor also warned that unless the storm's path shifts south, her city is in for extreme damages. Likewise, if the storm happens to shift north, things could get even worse than they are already anticipated to be.
As Milton has been traveling across the Gulf, it has moved all the way to a Category 5 hurricane. Such a storm poses extreme risks to the communities it crosses paths with. Castor herself mentioned that the county to the south of Tampa may be "entirely underwater" after the storm makes landfall.
With the effects of Hurricane Helene still not entirely known, Milton poses quite a risk to the southeast once more.
