Tampa Mayor Warns Residents in Evacuation Zones ‘You’re Gonna Die’

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor is warning residents that they will “die” if they fail to act on evacuation orders as Hurricane Milton barrels toward the Florida city.

Milton is expected to hit Tampa Bay by Wednesday and travel east across Florida before exiting into the Atlantic Ocean. The storm, coming less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene, gained strength to become a Category 5—the most severe type of hurricane—while moving through the Gulf of Mexico on Monday.

Evacuation orders have been issued in Florida counties in the Tampa Bay region and elsewhere in the hurricane’s path. During a CNN appearance on Monday night, Castor told residents who may have decided to “ride out” past storms that she believes they will be making a fatal mistake if they do the same for Milton.

“There’s never been one like this,” Castor said. “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, you’re gonna die.”

Castor explained that predicted storm surges of up to 12 feet, twice as large as those triggered by Helene, would be catastrophic for anyone in the area. She also said that a neighboring county could be entirely “under water” if the storm is as severe as predicted.

“Some of the predictions are saying that Pinellas County, to the south of us, the entire county is going to be under water,” Castor said. “So, this is something that I have never seen in my life. 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,” she added. “If we have that predicted storm surge, it is not survivable.”

While it was unclear how many Tampa residents intended to remain in evacuation areas, traffic was backed up on highways near the city within hours of the evacuation orders being issued.

Newsweek reached out for comment to a City of Tampa spokesperson via email on Monday night.

The White House said that President Joe Biden spoke to Castor and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis over the phone on Monday and asked both to “call him directly if there is anything that can be done to further support the response and recovery effort,” according to NBC News.

Biden quickly approved an emergency declaration request from DeSantis earlier in the day, while the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) allocated funds and resources to Florida to assist with disaster response efforts in anticipation of Milton. FEMA also urged locals to heed evacuation orders.

“FEMA understands that people in the path of this storm may still be recovering from hurricanes Helene and Debby and urges everyone to protect themselves and take care of others because time is running out to prepare for the hurricane’s potentially deadly impacts,” an agency press release states.

“People in Milton’s path should take the forecast seriously and finalize preparation and know how they are going to get information and listen to local officials,” it continues. “If you are told to evacuate, do so immediately because your life may be at risk.”