Having a plan and an emergency kit before Hurricane Milton strikes is paramount and, for many Floridians, heeding warnings to evacuate could be a life-saving decision, emergency officials say. Florida's emergency management director, Kevin Guthrie, motioned to the ceiling at a Monday briefing as Category 5 Hurricane Milton churned towards the state's Gulf coast. The ceiling was just over 10 feet (3 meters) high, and Guthrie used to it to illustrate how forecasts call for Milton to bring a storm surge higher than that — up to 12 feet (3.
7 meters) along a large stretch of Florida's west coast. “If they have called an evacuation order, I beg you, I implore you to evacuate," he said. People should do three key things: make a plan, have an emergency kit and stay informed, according to Jaime Hernandez, the emergency management director in Hollywood, Florida.
An emergency plan should take into account changing forecasts, authorities said. “You don’t know what the impacts are going to be," Hernandez said. "You don’t know what the infrastructure disruptions are going to look like.
” Preparing for a hurricane includes getting supplies in advance, including nonperishable foods and water in case power is lost and supplies are low in the community. Preparedness also includes ensuring all medical items and medications are ready in case people are unable to leave their homes. In this case, it’s important to consult a doctor about what to have ready in your home.
Hernandez direc.
