You're on your own........

"There's going to reach a point where you're on your own," Pinellas County officials warn

From CNN's Rebekah Riess

Officials in Pinellas County, Florida, made an urgent plea to residents under mandatory evacuation orders in Zone A who still haven’t left the area to heed their warnings and “just get out” ahead of Hurricane Helene’s arrival.

“Way too many people in Zone A aren’t listening. We’ve been out there this morning. There are still way too many people in the areas,” Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said during a press conference Thursday morning.

“There’s going to reach a point where you’re on your own, because we’re not going to get our people killed because you don’t want to listen to what we’re saying,” Gualtieri said. “It’s just too dangerous.”

Cathie Perkins, director of Pinellas County Emergency Management, urged remaining Zone A residents to evacuate by Noon at the latest, as roads have already start to flood. 

“If you are not out of Zone A by Noon, then you need to stay put in your house, and you’re going to have to climb up on top of furniture or counters, keep yourself up there,” Perkins warned.

To help people leave the evacuation zone, Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority will run a “one shot” bus up and down the barrier islands starting at 10:00 a.m., Perkins said.

The county has staged high-water vehicles, shallow water boats, teams of deputies and other rescue personnel to assist the community during the storm, according to the sheriff. But officials still warned residents not to rely on the county’s help if they choose not to evacuate.