As Hurricane Milton approaches, correctional facilities across Florida are choosing to keep thousands of inmates on-site, despite being located in designated evacuation zones. Manatee County Jail, which houses 1,200 inmates on the southeast side of Tampa Bay, has confirmed that it will not evacuate ahead of the storm, which is forecast to make landfall after moving in from the Gulf of Mexico.
A jail representative told Newsweek that the facility is classified under Zone A, an area that could see storm surges reaching as high as 11 feet. According to the evacuation guidelines for Manatee County, these zones are prioritized for evacuation procedures. Jodie Fiske, the county’s public safety director, underscored the seriousness of the situation: “We do not issue evacuation orders lightly. Milton is expected to produce more storm surge than Hurricane Helene. If you stayed during Helene and got lucky, I would not press my luck with this particular system.”
Just recently, Hurricane Helene impacted northwestern Florida near Tallahassee, leaving lingering effects that are still felt across the state and even as far north as North Carolina. Despite the looming threat, a deputy at Manatee County Jail reassured Newsweek that the facility is making preparations. They plan to stockpile sandbags and other essential supplies, and should flooding occur, inmates will be relocated to the jail’s top floor. However, The Guardian was unable to secure a comment from a representative of the jail.
Historically, correctional facilities in hurricane-affected areas have been slow to evacuate inmates during natural disasters. For instance, during Hurricane Florence in South Carolina in 2018, at least two prisons opted not to evacuate. A spokesperson for the South Carolina Department of Corrections remarked, “In the past, it’s been safer to leave them there.” The consequences can be dire, as seen during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when hundreds of inmates were left locked inside Orleans Parish prison for four harrowing days as floodwaters rose, with no access to food or water.
Other correctional facilities in Florida, including those in Sarasota, Hernando, Pasco, Charlotte, and Lee counties, have indicated they will also remain operational during Hurricane Milton. Family members of those incarcerated are voicing their concerns for the safety of their loved ones.
Julie Reimer, a Florida resident with family at both Charlotte Correctional Institution and Hardee Correctional Institution, shared her anxiety with 10 Tampa Bay. Speaking under her maiden name due to fears of retaliation, she recounted how officials from both facilities confirmed there would be no evacuation. “They said their buildings are capable of withstanding a storm like this,” she recalled. “They seem to believe this storm is not serious.”
Reimer poignantly reflected on her son’s situation, stating, “When my son was sentenced, he was not given a death sentence.”
