The challenges Floridians face in evacuating

CNN
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Driving on the side of the motorway, lack of petrol and fully booked hotels.

These are some of the complications facing Floridians as they make and implement plans to leave their homes in the largest evacuation order since 2017. They are preparing for Hurricane Milton, less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene hit Florida's Big Bend. A Category 4 storm claimed at least 20 lives in the state. Officials warned that the impacts from Milton could be even more severe and far-reaching.

“I can say without any dramatization that if you choose to stay in one of these evacuation areas, you will die,” Tampa Mayor Jane Castor told CNN's Kaitlan Collins on Monday, urging residents to do so Warnings to heed before it's too late.

The state's Division of Emergency Management is preparing for the largest evacuation since 2017, Director Kevin Guthrie said Sunday at a news conference with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who declared a state of emergency for 51 of the state's 67 counties.

And as if residents didn't have enough to worry about as they attempt to evacuate, the National Weather Service office in Miami is warning that isolated tornadoes could hamper those emergency plans.

“Tornado damage may occur in several locations, with significant damage, power outages and communications outages possible in some locations,” the agency said.

To make evacuations easier, people fleeing on the highway can use the left shoulder to keep traffic moving, the Florida Department of Transportation announced Monday. This measure is usually only intended for emergencies such as hurricanes.

“To facilitate evacuations…Emergency Shoulder Use (ESU) plans are currently being implemented for eastbound I-4 and northbound portions of I-75,” the Florida DOT said in a post on X.

The traffic flow changes are also intended to ensure supplies, emergency services and utility personnel can reach areas potentially affected by the storm.

“Law enforcement and signage will alert motorists when to enter and exit the shoulder,” the agency added.

Florida is also waiving tolls on the Veterans Expressway and Suncoast Parkway, two parts of a state highway that stretches north from Tampa, allowing them to be used as evacuation routes, DeSantis said Tuesday.

The Department of Transportation is monitoring traffic conditions along side roads as residents are evacuated, and it said that while traffic was heavy and slow, it was “still flowing and moving as intended.”

While many of the evacuees head north into Georgia via Atlanta, Peach Pass, the state's electronic toll collection system, is also making traffic changes to support the overflow, shifting some of its southbound lanes to northbound lanes, the said Toll authorities on Monday.

For those leaving home, alternative accommodation in hotels or rental properties is proving costly and difficult to find, with many already at capacity.

Florida-based hotel group Rosen Hotels & Resorts has activated its Florida Resident Distress Rates for those requiring accommodations in other parts of the state. Meanwhile, cities as far as 400 miles north, such as Dothan, Alabama, have reported no vacancies at their area hotels.

According to their websites, Expedia, Priceline and vacation rental site Vrbo have activated emergency policies for travelers whose vacation plans are impacted by Hurricane Milton.

For campers or recreational vehicle owners looking for a safe place to travel, Atlanta Motor Speedway is opening its campgrounds to hundreds of thousands of people evacuating their homes in Florida. Legends Premium Campground for RVs and Legends Tent Campground for pop-up RVs and tents offer free dry camping without water or electric hookups, Executive Vice President and General Manager Brandon Hutchison said in a news release.

“We have hundreds of acres of campgrounds and opening our facility is an easy decision,” Hutchison said. “If you’re in the way of Milton and need a place to stay, we’re here for you.”

The racetrack is located 30 miles south of Atlanta in Hampton, Georgia. It provides free RV and tent camping to evacuees and provides access to shower facilities in partnership with the Henry County Emergency Management Agency.

The campgrounds housed evacuees during previous hurricanes, including Irma in 2017, Florence in 2018 and Idalia last year, the speedway said.

The demand for gasoline further complicates the evacuation process. The state of Florida is trying to keep gas stations supplied as people try to fill up before driving. Others who choose to ride out the storms at home are also overfilling the gas pumps and filling gas tanks to power their generators when they are without power for an extended period of time.

“The lines at gas stations were long,” DeSantis admitted during a press conference on Tuesday. “Gas stations are emptying faster than usual.”

Gas price tracking service GasBuddy reported that 17.4% of gas stations across the state were without fuel as of Tuesday afternoon, a dramatic increase from just 3% on Monday. The situation was far worse in areas where forced evictions were ordered. In Fort Myers, on the state's Gulf Coast, 70% of gas stations were without gas Monday evening.

To address these shortages, the state is distributing fuel from its own reserves, including more than 100,000 gallons of gasoline. Another 1.2 million gallons of gasoline and diesel are on their way to the state, the governor said, noting that the Florida Highway Patrol has escorted 27 tankers to deliver fuel to gas stations in the storm's expected impact area.