"You're Missing A Really Key Piece Of This": This Tampa Resident Just Gave A Critical Explanation For Why It's So Difficult To Evacuate Before A Hurricane

Hurricane Milton is currently headed toward the Gulf Coast of Florida, where the strong Category 4 storm is anticipated to cause severe, potentially life-threatening damage in the Central Florida cities in its path.

With all eyes on Florida, it's possible that you've seen the clip of Tampa Mayor Jane Castor's viral statement on evacuation procedures for the Tampa Bay area. In an interview with CNN, she said: "If you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you're gonna die."

In the wake of the mayor's statement, as well as another clip from a Florida meteorologist who got emotional on-air while reporting on the storm, sentiments from the masses online have shifted toward urging Florida residents to evacuate — no matter what. But Kelsey Fagan , a podcaster and lifestyle creator who was born and raised in Tampa, is going viral for breaking down why the evacuation process is far more complicated than you might realize.

"If you're someone who saw the mayor of Tampa get on CNN and say that 'If you stay, you're going to die,' and you're confused on why anyone would ever stay in Tampa if our mayor just said we're going to die, you're missing a really key piece of this," she said in her explanation , which amassed close to 2.5 million views on TikTok as of Wednesday.

"So the way evacuations work here, which I wouldn't expect you to know if you don't live in an area where this happens, is that everyone has a zone," she explained. According to Kelsey, Zone A is considered to be the most vulnerable, and likely to be evacuated first, and Zone F is thought to be the least dangerous by comparison — though it by no means guarantees that residents will be safe.

She went on to clarify a key detail in how Mayor Castor's message has been misconstrued in recent days (including by the commenter she's responding to in the first place): "What she was saying is that if you are in an evacuation zone, and you choose not to leave, you're going to die. Zones A and B have [mandatory] evacuation orders. Those are the evacuation zones."

Kelsey, who resides in Zone E — the blue area below — decided to hunker down for Milton since her zone isn't under any mandatory evacuation order at this time. "Frankly, the entire state can't just pack up and go," she added.

"Evacuating is actually really hard," Kelsey said. "You get stuck on the highway half the time, which is far more dangerous. There's no gas. There's no hotels. There's no flights. We have pets. So that's why people choose to stay if they are not in an evacuation zone." Florida's current evacuation for Hurricane Milton is already their largest since Irma in 2017, with gas shortages and many hotels completely booked up.

The belief that everyone even has the ability to evacuate before a natural disaster of this scale is also a flawed one. For many potential evacuees, leaving town is an expense that simply can't be afforded; one commenter on Kelsey's video shared that they spent $1,500 just getting to a safe place, adding, "That's why people stay."

As a 23-year Tampa resident, Kelsey also weighed in regarding how she can stay calm in the face of such a challenging circumstance. "If you're like, 'Oh my god, why are you so calm? Aren't you scared? The wind! The floods!' I know," she continued. "I do not see any point in panicking, and that's just my personality."

For Kelsey, who told BuzzFeed she's "not sure [she] could even count the amount of hurricanes [she's] been through," she's learned that panicking can actually make facing a natural disaster, like a hurricane, even worse. "You can't think clearly," she said in her TikTok. "And that's not me downplaying it at all. I expect we'll have damage. I expect that it'll still flood somewhat here. I expect we'll lose power. The water will probably get shut off at some point. But you have to weigh all of those things against the risk of evacuating."

Throughout the 1,500+ comments on her video, many commenters chimed in with their own perspectives on the challenges of evacuating during a hurricane. One commenter shared that for those in further-out zones who can be prepared to lose power (and whose homes are up-to-code), making the decision to evacuate could actually take valuable road space and resources from those fleeing mandatory evacuation areas.

Another commenter, who's lived in Florida for eight years, mentioned that they only evacuated for Irma in 2017, and described the experience as "apocalyptic." They couldn't find a vacant hotel until they reached Atlanta.

Many simply thanked Kelsey for explaining the highly nuanced situation in the first place — from Tampa residents to out-of-staters who weren't already familiar with evacuation procedures.

Kelsey urges those in mandatory evacuation zones to comply with protocol — or seek out a nearby hurricane shelter if they don't have the means to travel. As a Floridian, she's used to being in the path of weaker hurricanes and tropical storms almost every year, she told BuzzFeed, and knows just how dangerous these scenarios can be. "Last year, I lived in Zone A and evacuated to Zone E when we received an evacuation order; I believe that was for Hurricane Idalia," she said.

And though Kelsey's home didn't receive any significant damage from Hurricane Helene just two weeks ago, she told us that many of her friends closer to the coast had it much worse, losing furniture and cars in the storm surge.

As far as safely riding out the hurricane goes, she has some more advice to share: "Make sure your phone stays charged and conserve your battery, turn on emergency alerts and leave your phone on loud, and follow the advice of your local officials," she said. "Don’t be alone, and if you have to be, get to a shelter." She added that it's crucial to have a check-in plan with any loved ones who need to stay in the loop regarding your safety and well-being.

You can find a full list of hurricane preparation and safety measures on FEMA's website.