Hurricane Milton: Florida rushes to prepare and evacuate

A gas station in Tampa ran out of fuel on Sunday.

Evacuations are being ordered in counties along Florida’s west coast as Hurricane Milton continues to strengthen, the Florida Division of Emergency Management said.

Charlotte County: Evacuations have been ordered for residents in areas known as Red Zone A and Orange Zone B – generally those on the water along the Gulf, Charlotte Harbor and the Myakka and Peace rivers, as well as immediately inland, a county map shows.

Citrus County: The sheriff’s office said that starting at 8 a.m. Tuesday, a mandatory evacuation order must be issued for residents of buildings that cannot withstand winds of 110 miles per hour. These include RVs, tents, mobile homes and manufactured homes.

Glades County: A voluntary evacuation order is in effect for residents of mobile homes, RVs and low-lying areas beginning Tuesday at 1 p.m.

Hernando County: Mandatory evacuations were ordered for all areas west of U.S. Highway 19, which includes zones A, B and C, as well as residents of coastal and lowland areas and manufactured homes throughout the county beginning at 8 a.m. Tuesday. Shelter will open at 8 a.m. Tuesday at Challenger K-8 School.

Hillsborough County: According to the county, which includes the city of Tampa, a mandatory evacuation order for all residents in Zones A and B began Monday at 2:30 p.m. The orders also apply to residents of mobile and manufactured homes.

Lee County: Residents in Zones A and B are under evacuation orders that went into effect at noon Monday, officials said. Residents of Sanibel, on a barrier island on Florida’s west coast, face a mandatory evacuation order starting Tuesday evening, city officials said. Residents must leave the island by 10 p.m. Tuesday because first responders will likely have to stop their duties if strong winds begin, officials said Monday.

Manatee County: The evacuation order went into effect at 2 p.m. Monday for residents of zones known as Level A, Level B and Level C. The evacuation order also applies to people living in mobile homes or RVs.

Miami-Dade County: Officials have asked medically vulnerable people and residents of mobile home parks to evacuate, Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said Monday. “We are setting up evacuation centers and also working with our hospitals for the medically vulnerable,” she said, adding that the order was issued out of an abundance of caution. According to the county’s website, officials are encouraging people to stay with family or friends in “an area outside of the evacuation order.”

Okeechobee County: A voluntary evacuation order for residents of low-lying areas and mobile homes will go into effect Tuesday at 5 p.m

Pasco County: A mandatory evacuation order is in effect for residents of Zones A, B, and C, as well as all residents of manufactured homes, mobile homes, RVs, and residents of low-lying, flood-prone areas. Previously, the county said a voluntary evacuation order was in effect for those with a designated “special needs resident” and anyone who “would be at risk in the event of a power outage.”

Pinellas County: The county has issued an immediate mandatory evacuation order for residents of Zones A, B and C, as well as all mobile homes throughout the county. Access to barrier islands is limited to residents, business owners and employees between 7:00 p.m. Monday and 7:00 p.m. Tuesday to allow people to prepare homes and businesses. A mandatory evacuation order for residential healthcare facilities in Zones A, B and C came into effect on Sunday.

Sarasota County: Residents in Levels A and B are being asked to evacuate, while residents in Level C “should be prepared” to do so if Milton intensifies the situation. Residents planning to leave the area should do so today, the county said. “If you wait, you’ll get stuck in a traffic jam.”