Tampa Mayor Jane Castor has delivered a stark warning to those in the path of Hurricane Milton: leave, or you’ll likely die.
Castor, 63, issued the warning during an appearance on CNN on Monday, Oct. 7, about 48 hours before Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall along Florida’s Gulf Coast.
Milton had ”rapidly intensified” earlier that day, and eventually developed into a Category 5 storm with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph. (It has since weakened slightly to Category 4.)
On CNN, Castor urged residents in the Tampa area to escape the area while they still can. Those who remain, she added, will be in grave danger.
”I can say without any dramatization whatsoever. If you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you’re going to die,” Castor told host Kaitlan Collins on Monday.
An aerial view of a home that was destroyed by fire as a result of storm surge as Hurricane Helene passed off shore in the Davis Islands neighborhood on September 29, 2024 in Tampa, Florida.
Paul Hennessy/Anadolu via Getty
Currently, Milton is expected to bring between 10 and 12 feet of storm surge to the Tampa area. Hurricane Helene brought about 6 feet of storm surge to the Tampa area, which Castor said was “devastating to so many in our coastal area.”
The storm surge for Milton, should it come in as predicted, “is not survivable,” according to the mayor. She expects the aftermath will be “catastrophic.”
“This is something that I have never seen in my life,” Castor told Collins. “And I can tell you that anyone who was born and raised in the Tampa Bay area has never seen anything like this before. People need to get out.”
Castor has declared a state of emergency ahead of Milton, which is expected to make landfall late Wednesday, Oct. 9 or early Thursday, Oct. 10, per the city’s website.
Hillsborough County officials have issued mandatory Evacuation Orders for Zones A and B, as well as for residents who live in mobile homes or manufactured housing, according to a bulletin posted on the county’s website.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has also issued a state of emergency in dozens of counties, also delivered a warning to residents at a press conference on Tuesday, Oct. 8, noting that Milton’s path could still change.
Boats destroyed during Hurricane Helene are shown on the Davis Islands Yacht Basin ahead of the possible arrival of Hurricane Milton Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in Tampa, Fla.
Chris O’Meara/AP Photo
“The storm has moved a little bit slower than initially projected. But remember, do not get wedded to the cone,” he explained. “Do not get wedded to where the projected landfall is … You could have a wobble either way.”
DeSantis then urged those in the path of the storm to “make the decisions necessary to keep yourself and your family safe.”
“We urge you to execute your plan. Now,” the governor said. “Let’s prepare for the worst, and let’s pray that we get a weakening and hope for the least amount of damage is possible, but we must be prepared for a major, major impact to the west coast of Florida.”
