On Tuesday, just hours before what would become a tumultuous October 9 for millions of Floridians, a patrol car drove through the streets of Hillsborough County, broadcasting a mandatory evacuation alert due to the impending arrival of Hurricane Milton. "It feels like a scene straight out of a movie," remarked Javier Díaz, a journalist at Univision, in a Facebook post showcasing the extraordinary footage circulating online.
The message resonated through the loudspeaker: "Please, evacuate now. We anticipate a significant rise in sea levels and strong winds moving into the area as the storm impacts our community. The time to leave is now. This is a message from the Hillsborough County Sheriff." The warning continued, "Mandatory evacuation for this area, please evacuate now. We expect severe and potentially deadly impacts from the approaching storm. The time to evacuate is now."
Authorities and media outlets have joined forces in recent hours to urge the public to heed evacuation orders, which are mandatory in some areas. Alongside the chilling television simulations depicting potential flooding, Tampa's mayor issued a stark warning: "If you decide to stay in one of those evacuation zones, you will die."
The police have advised those resistant to evacuation to write their name and date of birth on their arm to aid identification in the event of death—a chilling directive. President Joe Biden has also implored residents in the affected zones to evacuate immediately, emphasizing that it is a "matter of life and death."
As Florida braces for massive evacuations ahead of Hurricane Milton, which threatens to be the most devastating storm to hit the state in a century, traffic jams have clogged some roads. Many people waited until the last possible moment to flee to safer ground. The day has arrived, and tropical storm winds have already begun to lash Florida, accompanied by several tornadoes in recent hours.