Permanent marker

"Write your name in permanent marker on your arm" Florida official warns residents who won't evacuate

From CNN’s Lauren Mascarenhas

Florida leaders still working to respond to damages from Hurricane Helene issued emphatic pleas to Tampa-area residents Sunday to heed evacuation orders, as Hurricane Milton is expected to strengthen and hit the state’s western coast by mid-week.

“Everybody standing up here wants to keep you alive,” US Sen. Rick Scott said, flanked by local and federal officials. “Nobody up here can save your life if you put yourself in harm’s way.”

Officials expect storm surge, other flooding and high winds that knock out power, Scott said.

With some roads still flooded from Helene, residents can expect a similar kind of storm surge from Milton – but this time with strong winds, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister warned.

“I personally have never seen that type of devastation, and it was just mainly water,” Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said. “Now, it’s going to be water and wind.”

The sheriff’s office is calling in 400 to 500 additional personnel to help with evacuation and is placing amphibious vehicles around the county in case water rescues are needed, Chronister said. He urged residents to stock up on supplies and make an evacuation plan now.

To those who plan to stay despite evacuation orders, Attorney General Ashley Moody delivered this stark message:

“You probably need to write your name in permanent marker on your arm so that people know who you are when they get to you afterwards.”

Officials are still “uncovering folks on the beach who thought they could stay there, and the storm surge got them,” she said, referring to Helene’s impact.

Residents should also be on the lookout for price gouging – the illegal practice charging excessive prices on essential items during a state of emergency – Moody said.

“We’re looking at egregious price differences between 30 days ago and right now,” she said, adding officials have created an app residents can use to report cases of price gouging.

Many people are still without cell phone service after Helene, Moody said, advising residents to buy a small AM radio and a couple of batteries.

“This is old tech, and it works best in times of disaster,” she said.