Florida Jail in Hurricane Milton Danger Zone Won't Evacuate Inmates
Hurricane Milton was classified as a Category 4 hurricane on Tuesday, with maximum sustained winds of 155 miles per hour, making it 2 mph shy of a Category 5 hurricane.
After hitting Category 5 status on Monday, the storm weakened slightly but appears to be intensifying again. Forecasts show Milton
making landfall in Tampa on Wednesday night or early Thursday morning, but the expected wind speeds and exact location of landfall are still uncertain.
On Tuesday afternoon, a Manatee County Jail deputy told
Newsweek that the jail is in the Zone A evacuation zone. Manatee County has issued mandatory evacuations for all people in Zones A and B.
"We do not issue evacuation orders lightly," Manatee County Public Safety Director Jodie Fiske said. "Milton is anticipated to cause more storm surge than Helene. So, if you stayed during Helene and got lucky, I would not press my luck with this particular system."
Officials have been urging residents to heed evacuation warnings before Hurricane Milton hits Florida's western coast.
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