TAMPA, Fla. – Residents in the Tampa area have been packing up and leaving Hillsborough County as powerful Hurricane Milton continues to head their way.
There are 11 Florida counties under a mandatory evacuation, which has led to a 150% increase in traffic as many leave areas anticipated to be impacted by the storm.
On Tuesday morning, there was bumper-to-bumper traffic on Interstate 75 as people were trying to head to safety.
“Helene was a wakeup call,” said Tampa Mayor Jane Castor. “This is literally catastrophic. I can say without any dramatization whatsoever, if you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you’re gonna die.”
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The sobering message comes as this shapes up to be one of the largest evacuations of the west coast of Florida.
At the University of South Florida, one staffer prepared to transport at least 300 students to a Hillsborough shelter.
“I’m a little nervous because this is my first time in a shelter for anything, specifically a hurricane shelter,” said USF student Nick Nelson.
For many residents in the path of the storm, finding shelter was the only option Tuesday night, including Harly Mero, who arrived at a local shelter with his best friend, Max.
Unfortunately, the shelter was pet-free, and Mero, unwilling to leave Max behind, was left figuring out his next move.
“People are scared,” he said in Spanish, adding that many shelters had already filled up.
Hajani Bulli, from Jamaica, is among the students riding out the storm.
“I’ve never been, like, directly hit by a hurricane in my lifetime, so it’s quite the experience,” he said. “I am an international student, so I have no idea what’s going on. I’m glad they at least thought of their students.”
Students will remain at the shelter until at least Thursday.
Across Tampa, Sarasota, and St. Pete, the search for gas continues. Lines stretched long as gas stations ran dry, leaving some residents scrambling. Those who managed to fill up faced bumper-to-bumper traffic, fighting to escape the storm’s path.
“It’s been a nightmare,” said a Tampa resident. “We’ve gone to places where gas is 89 cents and it stopped.”
As Tampa Mayor Jane Castor reminded residents, the time for preparations had passed.
“There is no reason to take risks,” she said. “The storm surge is no joke. If something happens, you’re on your own.”
Despite the warnings, some, like social media personality Joseph Malinowski, known as “Lieutenant Dan,” chose to stay.
He’s weathered storms before, including Hurricane Helene, and plans to ride this one out on his boat in the bay.
“When the tide and the surge come in, my boat goes up,” Malinowski said. “As long as I leave the scope up, I’ll be fine. If I’m not here, I don’t know what can happen. It was meant to be.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that toll fees have been suspended in evacuated areas.
Read this story in Spanish by clicking here.
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