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Florida officials are sending grim warnings to those living in Florida’s evacuation zones ahead of Hurricane Milton.
On Monday, Hurricane Milton officially became a category five storm while making its way toward Northwestern Florida.
According to experts, Milton could be the hardest hurricane to hit the Tampa Bay area in 100 years.
“If Milton stays on its course this will be the most powerful hurricane to hit Tampa Bay in over 100 years. No one in the area has ever experienced a hurricane this strong before.”
Hurricane Milton’s minimum pressure has dropped to the infamous sub-900 mb mark, with a central pressure of 897 mb, making it the 5th most intense hurricane in Atlantic history by central pressure.
A monster Category 5 storm with sustained winds of 180 mph and gusts to 225 mph. pic.twitter.com/oonALiH3Ee
— Colin McCarthy (@US_Stormwatch) October 8, 2024
On Monday night, Tampa mayor Jane Castor warned people in evacuation zones that if they don’t leave, they will die.
“I can say this without any dramatization whatsoever: If you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you are going to die.”
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor: “I can say this without any dramatization whatsoever: If you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you are going to die.” pic.twitter.com/CP0VmK3TUC
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) October 8, 2024
Considering what happened last week with Hurricane Helene in Florida, it would probably be a good idea to leave right now if told to by experts.