Expected storm surges are up to 18 ft to western Florida. Total number of FL prisons in its path: 18+. Evacuated: 0. Potentially worst affected areas are between Crystal River to Naples and parts of Big Bend to the panhandle. Florida has pre-emptively declared a state of emergency in 35 counties. Below are all the correctional facilities in the storm’s path.
Images above: Projected Hurricane Path Image Credits: Denis Phillips, Map via Florida Correctional Facilities
Tampa Bay and Adjacent Areas
Hurricane Milton Anticipated Storm Surge and the Correctional Institution Map
Tampa Bay Zone Map of worst flooding with significant storm surges is currently predicted. A number of correctional institutions are in its path.
Florida Division of Emergency Management map of anticipated flooding in and around Tampa Bay with coastal storm surge of 18 feet predicted by them for hurricane Milton, expected to make landfall on October 10, 2024. Due to the La Nina weather pattern, hurricanes are a lot wetter than usual, causing wide-spread flooding, including far inland due to massive hurricane rains and in mountains as seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and its path through FL, GA and NC. The rains predicted for Hurricane Milton in Florida are expected to be approximately as severe as Helene was.
Southwest Florida
Hurricane Milton Anticipated Storm Surge and the Correctional Institution Map
The correctional institutions expected to be affected by Hurricane Milton are listed below.
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Hernando Correctional Institution (capacity 467; former women’s facility, in 2022 transitioned to make inmates)
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Zephyrhills Correctional Institution (capacity 753)
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Largo Road Prison
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Suncoast Community Release Center (capacity 345), St. Petersburg
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(capacity 53)
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Hillsborough Correctional Institution (all Hillsborough Corrections institutions together have approx. 5,000 beds combined.)
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Petersburg Community Release Center (capacity 563), St. Petersburg
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Bradenton Bridge Female Community Release Center (capacity 412)
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Hardee Correctional Institution, Bowling Green, FL (capacity 1,541)
Polk Correctional Institution Polk City, FL (capacity 1,208 beds)
Charlotte Correctional Institution Punta Gorda, FL (capacity 1,291 beds)
Fort Myers Women’s Correctional Institution (capacity 544 beds)
North Florida, Big Bend and the Panhandle
Hurricane Milton Anticipated Storm Surge and the Correctional Institution Map
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Taylor Correctional Institution Annex (capacity 1409), Carrabelle, FL
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Cross City Correctional Institution (capacity 1802)
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Wakulla Correctional Institution Annex (capacity 1532)
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Mayo Correctional Institution Annex (capacity 1345)
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Liberty Correctional Institution (capacity 1330)
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Gulf Correctional Institution (capacity 1568)
‘Extreme impacts’: Milton to become major hurricane, barrel ashore near Tampa Bay midweek
“A state of emergency has been declared in Florida ahead of Milton, which is forecast to plow into the western peninsula on Wednesday as a major hurricane, packing wind gusts up to 140 mph and 15 feet of storm surge.”
Evacuations
No information can be found whether the Florida Department of Corrections plans to evacuate any of these prisons. Should this change, it will be posted here.
Who is in charge of Florida Prisons?
Florida’s Secretary of the Department of Corrections is DeSantis appointee Ricky D. Dixon.
Milton went from category 1 to the current category 5 in a few short hours on 10/07/2024. For good live hurricane coverage, see meteorologist channel Ryan Hall Y’All.
On October 7, 2024, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor aired her frustration, stating that neither the state nor feds were doing “a goddamned thing to help evacuate” unhoused, disabled and poor. Tampa has an estimated 16,000 people who are unhoused and in the direct path of the storm.
Observations and comments by a former Angola inmate who rode out Katrina inside of Angola penitentiary in Louisiana. by Bill Kissinger
Sources:
NOAA/National Hurricane Center
Florida Division of Emergency Management
