The times we are living through right now are anything but ordinary. As millions of Americans witness the catastrophe being caused by these natural disasters, it is imperative that those who can, prepare and save themselves from it.
This is why officials who are responsible for the safety of the public are no longer mincing their words. Yet, when the Tampa Mayor issued her warning, it rang alarm bells for listeners everywhere.
Keep reading to know more about the ‘dire’ warning Mayor Jane Castor issued.
Ahead of Hurricane Milton’s landfall, Tampa’s Mayor Jane Castor has decided she and her people will be well prepared. She has been doubling down on her message which is to get everyone to evacuate the evacuation zones.
She said to CNN, “The No. 1 message, as it has been for several days now, is that you need to prepare, do whatever you need to do and then get out of the evacuation zones.”
Floridians are readying themselves for Hurricane Milton’s landfall, which will be the first major hurricane to hit the Tampa area in more than a century!
The majority of Florida’s west coast has been designated for mandatory evacuation ahead of the hurricane’s expected landfall on Wednesday evening. Mayor Castor noted that while many Floridians are leaving the area, some are still considering staying.
She urged those people to reconsider. She gave her final words, “They may have done that in others,” Castor said, as she referred to previous hurricanes, then added, “there’s never been one like this.”
“Helene was a wake-up call. This is literally catastrophic, and I can say without any dramatization whatsoever: If you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas” the mayor continued before she added the four blood chilling words, “you’re going to die.”
Some people took issue with her words, saying that this was a little much to say to the public. X user Miyah wrote, “But for a mayor to tell her town that they’ll DIE is actually insane work”
Others pointed out that some folks might not have any option but to stay, one user wrote, “Some ppl can’t afford to leave and they are out of gas at the gas stations!! And some have nowhere to go and can’t even afford to leave…”
But most people appreciated her bluntness. One user said simply, “Expressing the severity of the situation. Sometimes you gotta be blunt to get it to stick.” While another added, “She’s right. And she’d know. She’s been mayor for years. I lived in St Pete for almost a decade. She’s been solid. Glad it’s getting out. Hope to god people listen. Tampa isn’t used to this. It’s been 100 years and this has been back to back.”
Previously, Milton was categorized as a Category 3 hurricane by the time it reached land, but Tuesday night, the storm ravaged through the Yucatán Peninsula with maximum wind speeds hovering around 160 mph—above the 157 mph threshold for a Category 5 storm.
The Tampa and Sarasota areas of Florida are expected to experience storm surges of up to 10 to 15 feet!
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that the state has suspended tolls to make evacuation for Floridians easier. However, Mayor Castor did note that highways have been backed up because of many people leaving the state at the same time.
Florida and other Southeastern states are recovering from Hurricane Helene, which made landfall late last month.
We are sending our best wishes to everyone who is affected by the oncoming hurricane. We hope and pray for your safety! Share this with others to get the news out.
