Florida Officials Are Telling Residents Who Don’t Evacuate to Write Their Names on Themselves So Their Bodies Can Be Identified

Florida officials are telling residents who don’t intend to evacuate from the areas expected to be hit hardest by Hurricane Milton to write their names and the phone number of a family member on themselves so their bodies can be identified and their families find out about their deaths, according to CNN’s Paul Murphy.

On Tuesday, Murphy repeated the message one local chief of police had for his constituents.

“It’s the same message we’re hearing for people from leaders across the state: If you stay, they can not get you. They were able to do some water rescues in Helene; that will not happen with Milton,” began Murphy. “Once the winds, which are forecasted to start here at tropical storm force gusts, once they start tomorrow at around 8 a.m., he expects that by noon, they’re not going to be able — they’re going to have to evacuate the island themselves. So starting at noon tomorrow, if you’re here, there will not be help coming for you. You are on your own.”

“And he’s made that very clear. It’s that same message we’re hearing from officials: Write your name, write your number, write someone else’s number, your date of birth on you,” he concluded. “Because when they come looking for you, they want to know who to contact because you decided to stay.”

“Yeah, Paul, that is a somber message that we are hearing from folks,” replied anchor Boris Sanchez, who has also been on the ground in the Sunshine State.

In an appearance on CNN Monday night, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor had a similar warning, saying she “could say without any dramatization whatsoever: If you chose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you’re going to die.”

“This is something that I have never seen in my life,” she continued. “People need to get out.”

Watch above via CNN.