Florida sheriff asks residents who refused to evacuate from Hurricane Helene to write identification on their bodies
Dylan Murray
Featured Image Credit: CIRA/RAMMB / Joe Raedle/Getty Images
A Florida sheriff has issued a chilling message to those who chose not to evacuate as Hurricane Helene made landfall.
Sometimes during a natural disaster, it’s considered best to remain in your home until it subsides.
But with Hurricane Helene having reportedly killed 33 people already and left three million without power, people in some locations have been told to evacuate immediately.
Having now been deemed 'unsurvivable' by the Tallahassee National Weather Service, the storm evacuation efforts were made for good reason.
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And now a sheriff has made a horrifying request for those who ignored the numerous warnings to evacuate.
The sheriff of Taylor County, Florida, a rural area on the Gulf Coast that sits about an hour south of Tallahassee, released a statement today on social media giving a chilling message to those who did not evacuate to safety.
“If you or someone you know chose not to evacuate, PLEASE write your, Name, birthday and important information on your arm or leg in A PERMANENT MARKER so that you can be identified and family notified,” the post read.
The Taylor County Sheriff’s Office also gave instructions to people who were able to evacuate, but know people or animals that weren’t to email the department vital information about their loved ones so they could begin concentrated search and rescue missions in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
They noted that, above all else, the search and rescue emails should include information such as their names, their full addresses, the site of their houses, the names of the residents still in danger, and the number of animals at any one address.
Because of the strength and intensity of Hurricane Helene, which includes an expected 20ft storm surge, it is believed that some areas affected, most notably parts of Florida, will be 'uninhabitable' for the coming weeks and potentially months.
While Florida was the first state to feel the effects of the storm, several other states across the eastern United States and up into the Midwest are expected to experience some of Hurricane Helene’s wrath as well.
According to the latest National Hurricane Center updates, the 'eyewall' of the hurricane began entering southern Georgia at 1am EDT this morning.
It added: "Helene Weakening as it Moves Quickly North-Northeastward Near Valdosta Georgia. Life-Threatening Storm Surge, Winds, and Heavy Rains Continue."
By 2am EDT on Friday, Hurricane Helene began moving 'rapidly north-northeast into southern Georgia' with maximum sustained winds of 90mph with 'higher gusts'.
At around 8pm, the hurricane is anticipated as moving into Kentucky before traveling to Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and Alabama.