As Hurricane Milton barrels its way towards Florida, officials warn residents in its path to "GET OUT NOW."
"This is a very serious situation and residents in Florida should closely follow orders from their local emergency management officials, the National Hurricane Center warned this morning, even as Milton dipped again to a "strong" category 4.
And some of those orders, such as the message from officials in Pinellas County, are sending locals eleventh-hour warnings that "THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO GET OUT BEFORE THE STORM." The hurricane is expected to make landfall Wednesday night or Thursday morning.
From The Independent:
The storm continues to grow in size and winds are expected to pick up on Florida's west coast this afternoon, the NHC warned.
In Pinellas County's latest emergency alert, officials pleaded with residents to "GET OUT NOW. THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO GET OUT BEFORE THE STORM."
Federal and state officials have urged those in Milton's path to evacuate to avoid "catastrophic" winds, up to 18in rainfall and up to 15ft of storm surge, before the major hurricane slams into Florida's west-central coast.
"This is the 11th hour. If you're in an evacuation zone, the time to get out is now," Hillsborough County Sheriff Chard Chronister told CNN on Wednesday.
Previously: Timelapses of Hurricane Milton from orbit
