TAYLOR COUNTY, Fla. – As Hurricane Helene bears down on the Big Bend of Florida, one county has a sobering message for residents who are choosing to ride out the storm, our sister station WKMG reported.
In a social media post, the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office - Division of Emergency Management encouraged residents to write their names, birthdays, and important information on an arm or leg in a permanent marker so that they can “be identified and family notified.”
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In addition, residents are also asked to provide information so search and rescue teams can prioritize locations.
RELATED: ‘It’s in God’s hands’: Taylor County residents evacuate, prepare for ‘scary’ Helene
A mandatory evacuation order has been issued for all residents of Taylor County due to the ongoing hurricane and rapidly worsening conditions.
Helene made landfall around 11 p.m. 10 miles west-southwest of Perry, just east of the Aucilla River.
According to the National Hurricane Center, at 11 p.m. Hurricane Helene was an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph and gusts up to 155 mph.