Evacuating before Hurricane Milton hits Florida? Here’s what you need to know

As Hurricane Milton plows towards Tampa Bay, state and local officials are pleading with residents to heed the call to leave.

Much about Milton, including its location and intensity upon landfall, are still unknown. But that uncertainty doesn’t excuse inaction, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said in a Sunday news conference.

In Pinellas, zones A, B and C will mostly likely fall under mandatory evacuation orders as soon as Monday, Gualtieri said. And that means scrambles at the grocery store, traffic jams and booked-up hotels for Tampa Bay residents.

Here’s what you can do now to prepare:

Check your evacuation zone. If Pinellas evacuates up to zone C on Monday, it will be the largest evacuation of the county since 2022′s Hurricane Ian. Even if you think you’re safe, check your zone on the Florida Department of Emergency Management website.

Prepare a disaster supply kit. Now is the time to prepare emergency supplies or restock from Hurricane Helene. That includes a two-week supply of medications and food and water to last up to seven days. For more information about what to pack, check the Tampa Bay Times’s hurricane kit checklist.

Find a safe place to stay. Florida officials recommend staying with a friend or family member who lives nearby but will not have to evacuate. Hotels or motels outside of a mandatory evacuation zone are also an option but be sure to book a reservation before leaving your home. The longer you wait to make a reservation, the less likely you are to find a vacancy.

If those aren’t an option, go to a county-run shelter. Not every shelter can accommodate special needs or pet, so check which are suitable to your needs now. Supplies at shelters may be limited, so bring your hurricane supply kit with you.

Don’t wait until the last minute to leave. If Pinellas evacuates zones A, B and C, that means about half the county and much more traffic at the start of the week. Moving half a million residents out of harm’s way would take roughly 26 hours, said Pinellas County spokesperson Sydney Critser.

Hillsborough’s evacuation zone A adds another 187,000, according to county spokesperson Todd Pratt.

The large number of people evacuating will likely cause delays and major congestion, according to the state Department of Emergency Management. The stronger the storm grows, the worse the traffic will be.

You may not get back home right away. Residents of Pinellas’s barrier islands had to wait five days before returning home after Helene. Milton will likely be no different, Gualtieri said Sunday. That makes it all the more important to prepare to leave early and get homes as secure as possible, he added.

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