Tampa Mayor Jane Castor is warning residents to listen to evacuation orders amid the looming threat of Hurricane Milton, which the National Weather Service (NWS) warns could be the worst storm to impact the Tampa area in more than a century. The city is especially susceptible to hurricane damage due to its low-lying topography.
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NewsTranscript
00:00It's time to start implementing your evacuation plans, preparing your family, your pets, your
00:05property and your businesses. Do it right now while the weather is still clear and you still
00:10have time. When it's time before those impacts come, you need to be out of the evacuation zone.
00:18This storm is a serious storm. The EOC is at a level one activation over the past two weeks.
00:24For a response to Helene, we've been activated operating at a level two to do recovery and
00:29response for Helene. We've suspended some of the resources for Helene right now to ensure that all
00:35those resources are ready to go back out. You do not have to leave the county. We have enough
00:39shelters for you. Check with your family and friends. I just need you to move out of zone A
00:44and zone B. And if you're in a mobile manufactured home, make sure you get out of there because we
00:49may see more wind for this particular event than we did for Helene. We ordered evacuations for
00:55zones A and B for a very good reason. If you remain there, you could die. My men and women
01:02could die trying to rescue you. They are heroes, but please do not put them in that situation.
01:09Help them by leaving zone A and B today. If you delay until the storm arrives, emergency responders
01:16may not be able to reach you until the threat passes. You may be on your own. Yes, this stinks.
01:23We know that. And it comes on the heels where a lot of us are still healing and recovering
01:28from Hurricane Helene. But if you safeguard your families, you'll be alive.
01:37We're going to lose electric. We know that. We know if you move outside that evacuation area,
01:42it doesn't mean you're not going to be uncomfortable. You may lose electric.
01:46And again, that's going to stink. That's uncomfortable. We're in Florida. It's warm.
01:51But you'll be alive. There's not a need to panic. There's just a need to be prepared.
01:58The great news is we have almost 48 hours to do it. Take advantage of this time. If you need
02:04sandbags, get some sandbags. You need those essential items. You need to relocate your
02:08loved ones. We're making every resource that we can with this collaborative effort will be
02:14available. Again, to share one common goal. Common goal is to keep you and your families alive.
02:19Help us do that. The big difference between this storm and Hurricane Helene is the fact that
02:26between all the first responders and law enforcement, the sustained winds never went
02:30above 40. We never had to suspend service. We feel pretty confident, regardless of the track
02:36of this storm, that that's not going to be the case this time. When you make that phone call
02:43and help's not available, help's not coming, I can't imagine what that feeling
02:49would feel like. But I'm asking you to not have to feel that feeling.