A Florida woman who is refusing to follow Hurricane Milton evacuation orders says she considered writing her name on her arm and her dogs to be easily identified as the country braces for the “catastrophic” storm to hit.
More than five million residents have been urged to flee ahead of the storm, which president Joe Biden warned could be one of the worst storms in a decade.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Florida woman Robin Irby speaks about why she is staying at her home, as Hurricane Milton makes landfall.
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Milton is expected to make landfall within hours, with people told it is now too late to safely leave.
While the storm has been downgraded to a category 3, it has more than doubled in size since Wednesday and meteorologists expect it to expand more, meaning its disastrous impacts will be felt over a much larger area.
Biden earlier said following evacuation orders was “a matter of life and death”, while several state authorities have issued stark warnings to those choosing to stay behind.
Residents who choose to ignore evacuation orders should take steps to help authorities identify them if they perish, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said at a news conference.
“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,” Moody said.
She said officials were still “uncovering folks on the beach who thought they could stay there, and the storm surge got them,” referencing Hurricane Helene’s impact last week.
Holmes Beach police chief William Tokajer was among the local authorities who echoed the warning.
“If you don’t leave, you’re on your own,” Tokajer told CNN.
“Take a pen and write your name and social security number on your leg so that we have a contact if we find you, because this is not going to end well.”
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Florida woman Robin Irby is choosing to stay home in an evacuation zone in Holiday, saying it was impossible for everyone to be evacuated.
Speaking to Sunrise on Thursday, Irby said she considered the grim warning to help authorities identify people who stay behind and perish.
“I’m not opposed to writing my name. I’ve thought about writing it on my dogs,” she said.
“So far, I don’t think it’s going to come to that.”
Irby said she was nervous but she believed she was prepared.
“To be honest, I don’t have little kids, I have dogs,” she said.
“My son lives not too far from me, he’s not leaving, and you can’t evacuate a whole state.
“There are people that need to get out with little kids.”
Irby said if she lived closer to the Gulf, where residents were bracing for Milton’s impending landfall, she likely would have left.
“It would take a greater storm surge to get me than the one predicted,” she said.
“It is very intimidating.
“But we have a generator, lots of emergency food, lots of water, interior walls are cinder block
“I’m just going to say my prayers and hope for the best.”
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‘You will die’
Milton has started the process of making landfall and its eyewall and most intense winds are coming onshore, according to the latest update from the National Hurricane Centre.
Milton’s eyewall has winds screaming at 120m/h (193km/h) with higher gusts.
“The northern eyewall of Hurricane Milton is beginning to move onshore of the Florida gulf coast near Tampa and St Petersburg where an Extreme Wind Warning is now in effect,” the centre warned.
“Please shelter in place as these extremely dangerous hurricane-force winds overspread the region.”
Landfall is expected within the next hour or two as the hurricane’s eye crosses over the state.
The Tampa area is now under an extreme wind warning.
This type of warning is the most severe, most urgent alert for wind and indicates an “extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation.”
“TAKE COVER NOW! Treat these imminent extreme winds as if a tornado was approaching and move immediately to the safe room in your shelter,” the Tampa National Weather Service warned.
“Take action now to protect your life!”
The hurricane has dumped more than 76mm of rain in the past three hours in parts of the area, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The storm’s prolific tornado outbreak has already caused damage in the state, with 18 reports of tornados as of 6pm local time.
Water levels are also quickly rising as the hurricane’s powerful winds drive ocean water onto normally dry land.
In Bradenton, residents have been warned to shelter in place because “you will die” if they are out when the storm hits.
“This water — if it goes up to 12, 15 feet (3.7m to 4.6m) , like they’re saying, a lot of people will die and that’s the sad part,” Brown told CNN.
Conditions will only worsen as the storm gets closer.
– With CNN