Florida sheriffs have issued a dire warning to residents who have decided to stay in their homes rather than evacuate the area as deadly Hurricane Helen batters the Southeast.
Taylor County Sheriff's Office Posted A message was posted on the official emergency services page on Facebook on Thursday.
“You can hide from the wind to some extent, but you can't hide from the water.”
“We request all residents, guests, and evacuees to refrain from returning to the area until official instructions from the Emergency Operations Center,” the message reads.
“If you or someone you know chooses not to evacuate, please write your name, date of birth, and important information in permanent marker on your arm or leg so we can identify you and notify your family.” the message added.
sheriff wayne padgett said The county was in the “death epicenter” of the storm, and it is estimated that about half of the county's population decided to stay in their homes instead of evacuating the area. The county has approximately 20,000 residents.
Made by Helen landing A powerful Category 4 hurricane slammed into Florida on Thursday night, knocking out power to millions of people in several states. Severe flooding was recorded in many areas, with at least 22 people affected. reportedly He died as a result of the hurricane.
“We're expecting a storm surge of 18 or 20 feet. This county has never experienced storm surge like this before,” Padgett said. “You can hide from the wind to some extent, but you can't hide from the water.”
Police Chief Jamie Crews said On Friday, he regretted not stressing the evacuation order more.
“Our only regret at this point is that we were not proactive enough to notify people to evacuate areas at risk of flooding.”
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