Just go. That was the message Wednesday morning to Floridians still prepared to resist evacuation orders ahead of Hurricane Milton's landfall, as officials warn of grim survival chances for those left behind.
About 17% of Florida's roughly 8,000 gas stations are out of fuel, and roads leading out of Tampa remain bumper-to-bumper, according to GasBuddy, which tracks the fuel market.
Evacuation-induced traffic congestion in these areas, such as Interstate 75, has been so severe that the state is opening the shoulders to vehicular traffic.
A road sign announces the evacuation zone and the impending impact of Hurricane Milton in Port Richey, Florida, on October 8, 2024. (AP/Mike Carlson)
AP report The Tampa Bay region, home to more than 3.3 million people, faced the possibility of widespread destruction despite having avoided major hurricanes for more than 100 years.
The National Hurricane Center predicted that Milton, which was a Category 5 hurricane during its approach, would remain a major hurricane even after making landfall late Wednesday, although it would likely weaken.
Milton was centered about 360 miles southwest of Tampa early Wednesday, with maximum sustained wind speeds of 160 mph, the National Hurricane Center reported.
Amid the shutdown, more than 1 million people in coastal areas remain under evacuation orders, with those seeking higher ground battling congested highways and shuttered gas stations. It further disrupted a region still recovering from the devastating effects of Hurricane Helen.
Infographic titled “Hurricane Milton approaches Florida” created on October 9, 2024 (Yasin Demirci/Anadolu via Getty Images)
As reported by Breitbart News, officials from U.S. President Joe Biden to Tampa Mayor Jane Castor have warned people in evacuation zones that they risk death if they don't come out. .
More than a dozen coastal counties remain under mandatory evacuation orders, including Hillsborough County in Tampa, Reuters report.
RELATED: Florida police storm in to secure and anchor boats during Helen flooding
Sarasota Police Department (via Storyful)
Pinellas County, which includes St. Petersburg, ordered more than 500,000 people to evacuate. Lee County announced that 416,000 people live in mandatory evacuation zones.
Mobile homes, nursing homes and assisted living facilities also faced mandatory evacuations.
