In an alarming oversight that underscores the gravity of the impending Hurricane Milton, a jail in Manatee County, Florida, is reportedly not evacuating its 1,200 inmates - despite the facility being squarely in the hurricane's expected path.
As Hurricane Milton barrels toward the the US after churning through the Gulf of Mexico, the storm - with winds currently just 2 mph off a Category 5 - is set to make landfall today.
With Florida bracing for the worst of its fury - with locals in Tampa Bay and surrounding areas being urged to evacuate - Mayor Jane Castor has stated, per The Hill: "This is literally catastrophic, and I can say without any dramatization whatsoever: If you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you’re going to die."
However, despite these urgent calls for safety measures, the situation inside Manatee County Jail paints a starkly different picture.
Situated in Zone A, where evacuations are mandatory, the facility reportedly has no plans to move its inmates.
A deputy from the jail reportedly confirmed to Newsweek that there has been no history of significant flooding that might justify such a drastic action, and instead, the facility has prepared by stockpiling supplies and reinforcing with sandbags. Should the worst occur, the strategy is to move prisoners to the top floor of the building.
The apparent decision comes after Manatee County Public Safety Director Jodie Fiske stated: "We do not issue evacuation orders lightly.
"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."
Additionally, Matt Myers - the Manatee County Emergency Management Chief - added in a release: "Please. Please. Please take this storm seriously [...] "Now is the time to prepare."
Newsweek adds that deputies will also remain at the jail during the storm.
Highlighting the exceptional nature of Hurricane Milton, discussions are underway about introducing a new category for hurricanes.
Per USA Today, with winds that have already reached a monstrous 180 mph, experts like retired federal scientist Jim Kossin and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory climate scientist Michael Wehner are advocating for a "hypothetical category six," which would start at a minimum threshold of 192 mph.
Their research suggests that as the climate continues to warm, more such super-storms are likely to occur.
Once again, we urge anybody impacted by this storm to follow the official advice and do everything to stay safe.
