Florida Residents Told To ID Their Bodies Now if Not Fleeing Hurricane

A gruesome warning has hit Florida residents unwilling or unable to flee Hurricane Milton who have been asked to identify their bodies with permanent markers on their arms.
At a press conference on Monday October 7, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody addressed those not complying with evacuation orders, CNN reported.
“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,” she said.
More From Newsweek Vault: What Is an Emergency Fund?
Per the outlet, Moody said the state is still reeling in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which hit only two weeks ago, adding that bodies are still being found along the coast of people who could not outlive the storm surge.
Senator Rick Scott reportedly said during the same press conference: “Nobody up here can save your life if you put yourself in harm’s way.”
Attorney General Moody’s office has been contacted via phone outside of working hours.
More From Newsweek Vault: 5 Steps to Build an Emergency Fund Today
The advice to residents to ID their body was repeated by Sheriff Bill Prummell of Charlotte County, Florida, according to local news outlet FOX4.
More From Newsweek Vault: Online Banks vs. Traditional Banks: Learn the Differences
In a press conference on October 8, Prummell reportedly said: “If you choose to stay, find yourself a permanent marker. Write your name, your date of birth, and your next of kin on your arm, so we know who you are and who to contact.”
He added: “This is no joke.”
Prummell also told residents that first responders will not be asked to put their own lives in jeopardy to save people if conditions become too dangerous, as Charlotte County, which is along the southwest coast of Florida, is expected to be hit directly by the hurricane and its storm surge.
This is not the only extremely morbid warning to Florida residents. The mayor of Tampa, Jane Castor, said in an interview with CNN on October 7: “I can say without any dramatization whatsoever: If you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you’re going to die.”
Hurricane Milton is expected to hit Florida’s southwest coast today, October 9. It is predicted to bring devastation to the area, including winds of up to 160 mph, and a storm surge as high as 15 feet. Milton is expected to be life-threatening, as it is on track to hit Florida’s Tampa Bar area directly.
Florida lawmakers have enacted several measures to make evacuation easier. The Florida Division of Emergency Management has teamed up with Uber to give free rides to people trying to reach nearby safe zones, and Governor Ron DeSantis has removed tolls from roads in West Florida and Central Florida as well as Alligator Alley and 595 Express, so that people do not need to worry about the cost of driving through the state.
However, many Floridians are struggling to evacuate, citing high flight costs, and hours-long traffic up the state, NBC reported.
Do you have a story we should be covering? Do you have any questions about this article? Contact  [email protected]