City officials from Tampa, Florida, warned citizens to be prepared for Idalia and said evacuation decisions will be made soon.
Tampa Mayor Castor said officials will be discussing “evacuations, school closures and all other issues, and we expect that there will be announcements on that very soon.”
Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw added that if and when those orders are put in place that means your life is in danger, hear those warnings.” Tampa Fire Rescue Chief Barbara Tripp also stressed those concerns, saying, “We want everyone to take this storm seriously.”
The city’s Emergency Operation Center will begin to ramp up operations at noon ET on Monday and will be fully activated by 7 a.m. ET on Tuesday, Tripp said.
“Make sure you are looking out for your neighbors, elderly people that may be in your area, anyone that needs a helping hand. And let’s help each other to get through this storm safely,” Castor added.
The mayor said the city is using machines to help produce sandbags in order to get them to people faster. The city is also lowering the city reservoir and lakes to allow space for water from the storm, Castor said.
