south would push that higher storm surge, say, to port charlotte area. even as close as we are to landfall, it's not possible to tell exactly where that storm surge will occur. it's one wobble away from shifting 10 or 20 miles so that's why we convey that risk across such a large area to help support the evacuation across that central part of florida. >> but tampa bay is directly vulnerable, correct? >> correct, mr. president. it's one of the most vulnerable locations use the whole coast because water gets funneled up into the bay. you could see storm surge twice as high as when it saw it with helene. potentially 8 to 10 feet in this event. >> thanks, a lot, mike. i appreciate it. >> hey, mike, good to see you again, and thank you for all your work. for the folks who have been living in florida a long time and experienced these storms many times, how are you talking with them about how this is

going to be different? and so the difference between what they're used to and what this will be, as a way to, hopefully, give them more encouragement to know that they need to get out? >> thank you, madam vice president. yes, we are emphasizing the size and intensity of the storm and the direction at which it's approaching which is unusual and really raises that storm surge risk for the west coast of florida. we typically see hurricanes approach the west coast of florida from the south or southeast parallel to the coast. this track, more perpendicular to the coast raises the storm surge risk. and the size of the storm is going to produce hazardous impacts across much of the peninsula. so, we've been hitting the surge risks on both coasts, and flooding and tornadoes, trying to emphasize the scale and breadth of the threat which is somewhat unusual for milton. >> thank you. thank you for your good work. >> mike, one more question -- >> yes, sir. >> -- for people listening, what is the width from the state of

florida from the tampa bay area across to sebastian and that area, palm beach? what kind of distance are we talking about? >> you know, across the state of florida, you're probably talking about, you know, 150, to 200 miles. that's an estimate. but the storm's going to be moving at 15 miles per hour. so it's going to be moving across that area very quickly. and the tropical storm-force winds, 30 or 40-mile-per-hour winds are greater, now extend almost out 200 miles from the center, they're going to be getting large as the storm approaches the coastline so that's going to cause the wind impacts to affect much of the state. >> the reason i asked that question, i think at least for me, having done a lot of this the last three years, emphasizes the consequential damage this storm can do. i mean, it's going to enter florida on the west as a hurricane and leave as a hurricane? >> that's correct. >> that's pretty unusual. anyway, thank you. >> yes, sir, thank you.

>> thank you so much. we will move on now to the national weather service director ken graham. >> all right. thanks, liz, i appreciate it. and i wanted to thank administrator criswell through this as well. and dr. brennan also, the hurricane center has been focused on it with such great forecast the whole way. i just wish we could minimize those impacts but that doesn't look like that's going to happen so mr. president, madam vice president, we continue to work at the national weather service with our federal, state and local decisionmakers during these storms. we actually have our scientists embedded with fema, the state and local operations centers. we also have our scientists embedded with u.s. coast guard district 7 to help out with these decisions to make sure they're right there to answer the questions as they come up. covering really the subtleties as mentioned in the forecast. dr. brennan mentioned the small changes can make a big

difference. little wiggles do matter. small wobbles make a big difference. all of these storm surges, they wobble and wiggle as they move in. as administrator criswell said, listen to the local officials. 30 years with noaa, 30 years with the weather service, this is a particularly dangerous tract. people need to get into safe locations as the impact starts it deteriorating over the next few hours. words really matter with the storms even if the winds decrease near landfall. we try to avoid words like "weakened." it gives a false sense of security to the public. we want to really stress no matter what happens to the wind speed in the system, catastrophic impacts will result either way. the size of the wind speed, the actual size will be expanding as dr. brennan was saying, most of that impact will cover most of the peninsula. mr. president, like you said,

think about it, just going over it in my mind, it will enter as a hurricane and exit as a hurricane. so you'll see damage from the landfall point on the west coast and you'll see damage on the east coast as well. so it's really important to focus on those impacts. again, seeing those impacts on both coasts, we're really starting to see the impacts as we speak. i was just looking at the radar before doing this meeting here, and we've got tornadoes already touching down in some spots in florida. and some confirmed that have touched down as well. and about 90% of those tornadoes occur on that right front quadrant of the tropical system. so, really, our folks with the weather service are on duty 24 hours a day, watching that radar, to make sure we can get those warnings out quickly to people so they can take cover and as dr. brennan said, think about it, 140 miles wide, now we're 200. we expect it to be greater than 240 miles away from the center, with these winds. so that's a huge area that we

could see some of that damage. very concerned about the storm surge. and i wanted to double down on something. it's not just, you know, tampa bay, with that eight to 12-foot forecast or 10 to 15 to boca grand day. you could see storm surge all the way down. think about fort myers, naples,well away from that center. we got to keep reminding people, you're not safe, even though you're not near the center of the storm. we'll continue to really message that as we can. the other part of this, flooding could last a while. unlike other areas with elevation, there's not much elevation in florida. so, some of these rivers are going to be slow to drain. some of these rivers could stay up for about a week after the storm. and the storm surge will act as a blocker to drain some of that rain on the inland areas. so that coo really be -- add some challenges with some communities with the flooding and recovery efforts, so some of the roads will be pretty impassible. so, i was looking at this, mr. president, madam vice

president, yesterday, i said the clock is ticking and sounding alarm bells going off. people really need to start getting into their safe place. as always, the weather service remains on duty 24 by 7 to make sure decisionmakers have all of the information they need. >> ken, i'd like to focus on one thing you said, i don't think most people think it, but, you know, the idea that sometimes it takes days for rivers to crest after a major storm like this. are there any particular areas of concern that relate to this type of flooding? and how long do you think the flooding conditions could last? in other words, people think once -- once the winds are died down and have gotten through, okay, we're all set. but, these rivers flooding are consequential, and it takes time, right? >> it takes time. that storm surge pushes up every nook and cranny of florida, it goes up bays, it fills in rivers and flows into these areas then

you add that incredible amount of rainfall and that rain didn't drain because the storm surge has it blocked. looking at some areas, hillsborough river, peace river, some of these traditional places that could flood, we've really got to watch those areas. it takes quite a while for that water to drain. >> thank you very much. >> hey, ken, i have a question for you. you mentioned words matter. and i'm -- i know there's a lot of media following this briefing. so there have been -- we've gone from cat 5 to cat 4 and the language that a lot of folks have been using is downgrade. but it sounds like you're cautioning us that may communicate a sense that the danger is lessened when, in fact, it's not. you can talk a little bit about that, because i know a lot of folks are watch right now and would love to have your feedback on how we should be talking about this. >> yeah, we need everybody in the public to be on the same

page with the words. because 30 years of doing this, i've seen this so many times, people will think, oh, it's a cat 5, now a cat 3, that's not a reason to relax. it's not diminished. that means we've expanded the wind. the impacts don't change. we've seen that with florence and other historic hurricanes. we have to be find mindful of the words we use. the impact doesn't change no matter what the wind speed does over the next 24 hours, thank you. >> thank you director graham, we'll so to secretary mayorkas. ali, over to you. >> thank you very much, liz, mr. president, madam vice president. if i can just pick up on the important phrase "words matter," i want to thank you with the strength and moral clarity which you have been speaking to back down false information which is being spread. that false information is only

hurting survivors in need of help. and it's also hurting the first responders who are so bravely risking their lives to deliver that help to the survivors. mr. president and madam vice president, we are executing on your directive to not only rely on fema to provide emergency relief, but to draw upon other resources throughout the department of homeland security and throughout the federal government, throughout your administration. i know you'll hear from the commandant of the united states coast guard linda fagan, the united states coast guard has deployed almost 1,300 personnel to florida, not just search and rescue, but safety to the port of tampa which is a critical lifeline for supplies that are needed by florida and elsewhere. i want to also say that our u.s. customs and border protection has devoted search and rescue personnel, as well as other parts of our department, to give you just a quick snapshot of

some of the resources that are devoted from other parts of the administration. the department of defense is providing search and rescue, commodity movement, commodity distribution and security to florida. we already have 1.5 million meals and 2.8 million liters of water ready to provide to people in need. the u.s. army corps of engineers is providing temporary power, temporary roofing, debris removal support and engineering expertise. the u.s. forest administration is also providing debris removal. this is absolutely critical so that our search and rescue personnel can reach the people in need. and provide them with the humanitarian relief, upon which they rely. health and human services is providing hospital and health-related support. the small business administration has dedicated 137 personnel to assist people who

have lost, or whose businesses are destroyed, to get them back up on their feet and understand what resources are available to them. we have an entire administration dedicated to this effort, at your direction. and with that, i'll pause. >> hey, ali, and mr. secretary, do you have any need from all of the federal departments and agency in support of this response, any lacking? >> we certainly do have all of the resources. we are well positioned to continue to respond to hurricane helene. to respond to hurricane milton. mr. president, we are meeting the moment and meeting the challenges because of the extraordinary people who have spoken before me. >> well, i -- you know, i want to thank the governors, they stepped up, you know, all of this disinformation going out about how, you know, we're devoting all of this money to

migrants. and i mean, all -- even one congresswoman suggested that i control the weather, implying that i'm sending it to red states. i mean, stuff off the wall. it's like out of a comic book. but, you know, people when they're in trouble, for example, and i asked this to our administrator, said that $750 and that's it. and he lost everything, $750. that's -- that's -- that's not -- they give you an immediate what you need to get by the next day to get a prescription to get a -- whatever. are you getting calls already about what we're going to be able to deliver for people who get in trouble? >> we are. mr. president, let me say that, you know, one of the false narratives is that the federal employees who are actually delivering assistance will take an individual's land.

and that is causing individuals survivors not to approach the people who are there to help and obtain the relief to which they are entitled and that we have available to them. and the vice president knows very well, as a former prosecutor, that false information only is fuel for the criminal element to exploit individuals in positions of vulnerability, and madam vice president, your words at the out set were so very important for that reason. >> thank you. >> mr. president, i want to thank you for your folks in your agency, with fema and all, i've been on the ground and seen what you're doing to coordinator with local and state and first responder, it's been outstanding. it really does show the best kind of work we do in a moment of crisis to work together. so i applaud the folks that work with you and your leadership in that reguard. >> thank you, madam vice

president. >> thank you, secretary mayorkas. we'll go now to admiral linda fagan, the commandant of the u.s. coast guard. >> thank you, mr. president, madam vice president, i want to assure you that the coast guard is ready to respond. we continue to monitor and respond closely and mindful how dangerous the storm is and the potential for the region still recovering from hurricane helene. my senior field commanders are well integrated with both the state and local responders and have stood up. we continue to search personnel and assets from across the country into the region. and i want to highlight how we prepare for storms. so, we have people in helicopters and aircraft, and boats and cutters that would have been in harm's way for the passage of this storm. and we've moved those people and assets out of harm's way from

the storm. they are ready and position and ready to evacuate the region as soon as it is safe to do so. in addition to aircraft, ships and boats include shallow water boats, medical teams, pollution response teams, crisis support teams. our top priority is saving lives and safe guarding the marine transportation system. this also includes responding to any pollution incidents. we will begin to move back in the region as soon as it's safe to do so with our primary initial focus being life saving work and reopening the ports to reenable the flow of commerce. i want to focus just for a minute on the port of tampa which is the largest port in florida. and depending on of the impacts of the storm, there could be some impacts to the port and commerce flow. we will conduct overflights as well as bring ships into the

region to ensure that the channel harbor is clear and safe for commercial traffic. we will work with the army corps of engineers and others to do those assessments. we will work to resalvage the navigation constellation and work with the pilots in the area to ensure that it will move safely in and out of the port of tampa. we'll also need to ensure that the port has electricity for handling cargo and cargo lines. mr. president, we're myopically focused on regaining commerce in the port of tampa once the assessments are able to be made. it does take a little bit of time but we will move with all urgency to ensure that tampa is open and commerce flows. we continue to monitor the storm closely. and a number have spoken on the need to feed the evacuation orders. just like i emphasize that my first responders as one of the

first critical responding agencies in a response like this. my first responders have moved out of harm's way. they are ready tour immediate reconstitution in the area and you'll see them move quickly. as the storm's effects come on, people will need to move into a safe position so they do not lose their lives. mr. president, your coast guard is ready to respond and well positioneded. thank you, sir. >> admiral, one of the things i don't know whether people have not been through any kind of hurricane in the past may not understand is that when the rainfall and the flood surge are significant, but these elevated water levels are likely to be accompanied by large and destructive waves. it's not just the water rising. it's significant waves. and what do you anticipate, if

that -- if anyone else wants to respond, what do you anticipate in terms of the wave damage this time, not just the water rising, but these waves, large waves coming in? >> sir, i'll just touch on the impact of the water and just the flow and significance of any kind of increased water flow, storm surge, whether it's driven or otherwise, that creates conditions that are incredibly hazardous to life. that people can't swim or save themselves which, again, just emphasizes why it's so critical that people evacuate and get themselves out of harm's way. to allow them the assessment with regard to property and property effects. >> i know that search and rescue is obviously the number one priority in the storm. but we know the port of tampa is critical, critical for the

state, the state's economy and the region as well. what you can and the army corps of engineers to get the port quickly reopen once the storm passes through? >> fake news. we're already in coordination with the army corps of engineers to assess whether there are impacts from the storm and reopen the port of tampa, the port of everglades remains open to fuel tankers to ensure that that commerce continues to flow in the state, from other ports that are not in the direct impact of the storm. sir, i assure, we and the army corps of engineers are in direct conversation what it will take to reconstitute the port of tampa, and we will lean into that work as quickly as possible. thank you, admiral, appreciate it.

>> commandant, i echo the president's words, thank you for what you and the men and women of the coast guard are doing in response to hurricane helene, and now this. and your emphasis of the importance of the port in tampa is critically important to recovery. so, thank you for all the work that you are doing. i note that resources are spread thin in terms of your folks being on the ground in every area right now. and you're doing an extraordinary job, so thank you for that. >> thank you, madam vice president. >> to each of the dedicated professionals on this screen, we are truly in your debt and in dealt to your teams for what they're doing right now to prepare for and respond to what is coming to florida this evening. with that, we will conclude the public part of this briefing. and if you'll just stay on the screen for a few minutes -- >> can i say one closing thing? >> of course, mr. president. >> pass on to your folks how

much we respect and understand why these folks are risking their lives. >> yes. >> risking their lives, to help other people. i mean, this is americans helping americans in ways when, you know, to me, it's a measure of who we are as a nation, we see this happen. and it constantly happens. americans stepping up to help other americans in risking their lives. so thank all of the first responders, it really matters, really, from the bottom of my heart, thank you, thank you, thank you. sorry. >> mr. president -- >> okay. americans helping americans. president biden not taking any questions good day, i'm chris

jansing live at msnbc headquarters in new york city. we just watched a major briefing from federal officials about florida where the window for evacuations is rapidly closing with hurricane milton just hours away. it is now a cat 4, with 145-mile-per-hour winds and predicted up to 15 feet of dangerous, unsurvivable storm surge. the headline, take this seriously and get out. as the fema administrator just put it, this is just different. and the concern about misinformation affecting safety is high. as we've just heard in very pointed language from president biden. >> there's been a reckless irresponsible and relentless promotion of disinformation and outlight lies that are disturbing people. it's undermining confidence in the incredible rescue and recovery work that's already been taken and will continue to be taken. and it's harmful of those who need help the most. there's simply no place for this

to happen. former president trump has led the onslaught of lies. assertions and are being made that properties are being confiscated, that's simply not true. they're saying people impacted by the storms will receive $750 in cash and no more. that's simply not true. they're saying the money is needed for this crisis is being diverted to migrants. what a ridiculous thing to say. it's not true. >> here's what is true. time is fast dwindling to get out. the threat of tornadoes appears to be escalating in florida. one already touching down near i-75 in south florida. a precursor to what officials fear will be catastrophic landfall by milton. and anxiety on the ground is high. >> we're being told we need to leave, we're scared. >> it's just hard to kind of comprehend, really. >> this is a different time than any other hurricane i've been through here. it's devastating.

>> you can replace cars, you can replace homes, but you're not going to replace your life or your loved ones. >> 1500 flights have been cancelled today. at least five airports are closed. ports and railroads are shut down, the barrier islands cut off entirely, highways clogged or closed. and just getting on the road, of course, requires gas. a fuel tracking website now shows 23% of gas stations across florida are completely out of fuel. a mother and daughter in st. augustine say they can't find anywhere to go that they can reach before landfall. so they're staying put. >> i don't think we have a choice at this point. i don't want to be out stuck in a freeway in a middle of a storm. i mean, i don't know. i don't know where to go. >> one newspaper reporter says his father-in-law who will lives right in the storm's path told him if it's my time to go, it's my time to go. at least i'll be in my house where i belong. now, there are others who have no choice. inmates in at least six counties

under mandatory evacuation orders will remain locked down in jails or prison. joining me now wnbc meteorologist matt brickman. we just got a lot of dire warnings from federal officials echoing what we've been hearing for days now. tell us where the storm is now and what's the biggest threat right now. >> well, storm surge is going to be the biggest threat. i want to reinforce somebody we just heard. do not get hung up on the category, 5, 4 or 3. this is a major hurricane that's going to force a lot of ocean water on land. the storm is 160 miles southwest of tampa, florida, and tracking to the northeast at 17 miles an hour. it's already spawning multiple tornado warnings. there's a tornado watch until 9:00 tonight. but you can see what looked to be a dozen or so tornado warnings in across inland areas already as some heavier rain bands are beginning to move towards shore.

here's what we expect, landfall close to midnight tonight, between 10:00 and 2:00 a.m., as a major hurricane demonstrating wind damage along with that storm surge. as you heard the president say, this will continue across land as a hurricane. extreme conditions in tampa, 5:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. in fort myers. strong winds in tampa, 75 to 95 miles an hour. rain totals over a foot in that storm surge, in the 8 to 12-foot lane, similar conditions down towards fort myers as well. it will then across across florida, you're still seeing impacts tomorrow morning in spots like jacksonville. 2:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., the most extreme conditions in orlando as well. still a hurricane at this point. capable of 40 to 60-mile-per-hour wins, jacksonville, 5 to 8 inches, and 8 to 16 inches of rain around

orlando. let's talk storm surge. it happens to be the worst of it on the right side of the eye of the hurricane. right now, it looks like the center of that storm is close to sarasota. south of that, right to center, 10 to 15 feet of ocean water being pushed on land. and it's not just at the coast. this will be pushed several miles inland as well, down towards fort myers beach, 8 to 12 feet. even on the other side of the peninsula, 8 to 12 feet of storm surge, on the north side, as it pushes water back towards land. hurricane warnings for tampa, orlando, pierce, fort myers as well. you can see the winds, yes, we will see flooding down on the ground but even at higher elevations, windows can be blown out in the high-rise buildings, look at the winds around sarasota. over 100 miles an hour that could lead to power outages and we expect widespread power outages across the center of the state that could last a week.

that's not to say anything yet, of the rain, heavy rain a big part of this, there are flood watches and flood warnings in effect here. some spots, we'll see road closures because of this. rain totals could reach up to a foot and a half. so, multiple impacts. i do think storm surge is the greatest concern here, but you can see all of the different things that we're already beginning to see and continue to see playout over the next day and obviously in recovery for weeks. back to you. >> is it too soon to have a sense of how long this storm might sit over any given area? >> well, here's the good news, unlike helene which slowed down and produced that very heavy rain over the carolinas this is a quick mover. so this will make landfall overnight tonight. and then clear to the east of florida by tomorrow afternoon. it will move pretty quickly across the peninsula. so it won't produce those lingering rainfall totals for days and days. but, of course, with the storm

surge, that is ocean water on land that needs to recede. we could see a foot and a half of rain that will take time to recede as well. >> matt brickman, thank you for that. we really appreciate it. the headline in the "tampa bay times" says it is a nightmare scenario, the biggest to hit that area in history with catastrophic effect which you just heard from matt. and a cone that hasn't shifted away from the city of tampa. >> i've never seen a hurricane with that trajectory. >> nbc's melissa parais reporting on the ground there. what are you seeing from tampa pipe can see from your background, the winds are picking up, the rain is coming down. >> reporter: exactly, we're getting the outer bands, chris, whether threat of tournaments, storm surge, the winds there is a lot of risk for folks across the state right now. unfortunately, people i spoke to

who evacuated this area for higher ground are now in the tornado effect threat. there's a tornado outbreak happening right now. a very scary situation for people potentially thought they were out of harm's way. here in tampa, we're covering all of the resources that have poured in from across the country, statewide as well. fuel tank deliveries, drivers working around the clock to make sure the gas stations have the gas they need. we talked about the fuel shortages in certain parts. we know state troopers are escorting the tank delivery drivers to the gas stations. we know there are sandbags. we know there are national guardsmen service men. so many resources, towards removing that debris, a massive risk. it remains a massive risk, chris. we talked about how this is a month-long endeavor, instead, something they had days to do, in barrier islands they removed about 50%. right now, we're seeing access,

the barrier islands, major bridges in pinellas county shut down, chris. >> melissa para, thank you. in say are tote that, officials say there's a little bit of room in shelters. they're urging people in mobile homes to leave before too late. nbc's jesse kirsch is reporting from sarasota. talk about what you're seeing and hearing there, jesse. >> reporter: yeah, chris, it just got eerily quiet here. as i asked, the rain is starting back up. we just had a couple of moments where there's no rainfall. what we're seeing is water dripping down the side of this parking garage where year hunkering down throughout the storm. you can see around me all of the trees, they're not really blowing around. earlier, they were whipping around, wind whistling, we had isolated powerful gusts. but we're hours away from what is expected to be the worst of this storm, potentially in the bullsly, 15 feet of storm surge. right beyond me, beyond where

the buildings are is the say are sarasota bay. we're at an elevated position well above where we need to be to maintain our safety during this but that rushing water is not something someone could contend with, in all likelihood, on a grund level. despite the fact we're hours from landfall, hours from the worst of what we're expecting here in sarasota. in a moment of light rainfall, chris, this side street behind us is partially submerged. i can see a storm drain already overwhelmed with the water. this is looking like it's going to be quite the water event. not to mention the destruction to property and potential threat to life. officials have been stressing again and again for people to evacuate. they've been told to do so, and the clock is running out as we look at the tornado threat going across the state and seeing a possible tornado in alligator alley, that's one of the main thoroughfares from east to west coast of florida.

effectively, there could be a lot of people at a late hour still trying to evacuate from the west coast where mitten is making landfall and driving another tornado hazard. the state of florida very much in a heightened sense of emergency right now, chris. >> understandably so, jesse kirsch, thank you for that. officials in hillsborough county are posting updates by the hour of new areas shut off to traffic. take a look at this major bridge, you can see the police car there and it is dead. joining me andy ross, mayor of temple terrace, florida, which is near tampa. mr. mayor, thank you for being with us. are you still in temple terrace? what you can tell us about what's happening in your town? okay, so, we have lost our communication with him. but i think it is worth going back to that press conference that we just had with federal officials to punctuate the points that our reporters gave us about what spokes are preparing for. we heard this is an add

administration response. of course, state and local officials have are working now for many days to prepare but according to federal officials, just one small sampling of what is in place, what has already staged to get ready for when this hurricane hits, the department of defense has search and rescue. they have security officials there. they have what they call commodity distribution which basically means they have food and water, including meals ready to eat, ready to go. the army corps of engineers is there. the u.s. forest administration, they're doing debris removal. they'll continue to have to do that. we have talked a lot about how high winds can turn something as small as a stick into a projectile that could be deadly, hhs, the department of health and human services charged with hospitals and health care, helping them to prepare. some people are not able to evacuate hospitals. and then the small business administration, with 137 personnel, already on the

ground, we know that some businesses will be decimated. let me go back to andy ross who is the mayor of temple terrace, florida. >> okay. >> which is near tampa. i think we have you now, mr. mayor. are you still in temple terrace? what's the scene around where you are? >> well, we're starting to get a few of the outer bands. we have some light rains, gusty winds. of course, it's going to get much worse than that. but it's quiet right now, i think a lot of people that were going to leave had left. people have completed their preparations. so there's very little traffic on the road which is good. so things are, i guess, the proverbial calm before the store. >> it's timed out essentially for evacuations, do you have a sense, mr. mayor, how many people may have decided to try to wait this storm out? >> yeah, unfortunately, i think there are always people who don't heed the evacuation orders.

i think one thing that -- it sounds weird to say but this helps -- one thing that encouraged more people to leave this time was that we just had helene last week. helene was a terrifying storm. so i think a lot of people left because that was fresh on their minds. but there are still those people who live in manufactured homes, mobile homes or in flood zones, that did not leave. and i hope that they're okay through the storm. but, you know, they put nelms in position of danger. and they put nelms in a position of first responders won't be able to get to them for some time. >> you've talked a lot about the stress that your town is under because of helene, because of the anticipation of what milton is going to bring. how are people even coping? >> well, that's a very big concern of mine. and i know, you know, we're talking about life safety. so, you know, the mental health -- to that, but in the

community here, almost two or three days in a row, people are very fearful. people are crying. they're scared to death. some of the things that they fear are founded and some of them are not. they don't understand how the system works and where the storm surge is likely to go. and, so -- but at the end of the day, there's some very terrified and anxious people out there. and i'm concerned about that. almost as much as i am about the life safety thing. so, i am really trying to set the public at ease in that. >> well, i hope that people who are listening will listen carefully to what you have, temple terrace mayor andy ross. if it's possible to even make this have sense in a situation

like this, we certainly wish you all the best and our thoughts are with you. we appreciate you coming on the program. we are looking at live pictures right now from -- this is fort myers beach, florida. wind and rain, as you can see. up next, the mayor of that city will join us, with what officials are doing to help residents there right now. but did you know prevagen can help keep your memory sharp? the secret is the powerful ingredient, apoaequorin, originally discovered in jellyfish and found only in prevagen. in a clinical study, prevagen was shown to improve memory in subgroups of individuals who were cognitively normal or mildly impaired. stay sharp and improve your memory with prevagen. prevagen. in stores everywhere without a prescription. using these type of cleansers could be damaging and stripping your skin. i use new olay cleansing melts every day. just soak, activate and wash. to clean, tone and refresh. that's a 3x better clean.

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right now, fort myers beach florida, a six-mile long barrier island is like a ghosttown with crews even removes the city's famed town squawk. three miles north, sanibel island officials warn that emergency responders will suspend services once winds reach 45 miles an hour. >> if you choose to stay on the islands, you may be alone without first responder support for an unknown amount of time. >> and this is a live look from the fort myers beach margaritaville resort, as the outer bands of the storm start hitting. joining me the mayor of fort myers beach dan alliers. thank you for joining us. i know you just evacuated. do you know if you got everybody

out? what's the status for you? >> yeah, i just got to the hotel 30 minutes ago. it's pretty much a ghosttown. i know we haven't gotten everyone out, there are people who have chosen not to leave. but they fully understand they're on their own, there are no search and rescue teams that are going to be back until the winds get back to 45 miles per hour. we have tornadoes that have touched down near the fort myers area, so, we're just geared up for what's coming. >> i mean, what's coming sounds terrifying. the storm surge alone for fort myers beach is expected to be up to 12 feet. that could swamp the entire island. how doo you even prepare for something like this? >> there's no way to prepare. two years ago, we had hurt aine ian, 15 to 17 pete of storm surge on the islands which took out pretty much 50% of our structures that were on the beach, some two, three, four houses deep on the side street

down the boulevard. this storm surge may not be as high as 15 to 17 feet like ian, it will move further inland so the houses that did make it through ian are now going to be the brunt of this storm. so, we haven't had a chance, it's only been two years. we've been working on our emergency plan and this is the fifth storm in two years, chris, that we've had to prepare for and take water. just two weeks ago, we had hell loan. so, we got as much cleaned up from that as we can. people listened to the warning this time. it's pretty desolate, it's pretty much a ghosttown. but there are people there that are going to make sure they're okay after the storm passes. >> i mean, i can't even imagine how exhausting all of this is, physically, emotionally, mentally, how are folks even holding up? >> well, again, i mean, the mental part -- the physical part, you can always, you know, keep going. the mental part for some people

is very difficult. i was just talking to my wife. you know, i left our house, you know, knowing that it could be the last time we see it for the second time in two years. you know, and other people haven't been so lucky. i consider us lucky that we had a house to go back to after ian. hopefully, we have something to go back to after milton. some are not going to be so lucky. but it's an eerie feeling that this is very similar to what ian was two years ago. we know it doesn't appear it's going to hit us directly. but it's close enough we're going to see significant storm surge, and that's just as deadly as the eye going over the top of the island. >> well, we are thinking about all of you, and hoping you do indeed have a house to go home to. and i know you have a lot of work ahead, mr. mayor. thank you for taking time to talk to us. much appreciated. still ahead, new warnings about potentially major resource challenges following hurricane milton. some of them not been seen

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as long as you pay your premiums, it's yours to keep. call for more information and the simple form you need to apply today. there's no obligation, and you'll receive a free beneficiary planner just for calling. resources in florida are strained as the black swan worst case scenario long gamed out by emergency responders is quickly shaping into reality. fema is spread thin, bracing for hurricane milton while still working on recovery from helene. house speaker mike johnson has so far said he will not call back the house, despite

bipartisan pressure to make sure aid is provided. and now, the small business administration is warning that the agency will very soon run out of funding for new disaster loans for homeowners and businesses. joining us now, democratic congressman from florida, jared moskowitz, it's good to see you. sorry it is under these circumstances, congressman, and i know you just filed legislation to help fund the sba for hurricane relief efforts. what do you expect that the need will be, and are you confident that it will be met? >> thanks, chris, for having me. we've got to go backwards, get a little history here. before congress left a couple of weeks ago, there was a cr put on the floor, continuing resolution to put the government open that had the $10 billion in it for fema. that failed. the speaker brought the second cr, he stripped the money out. he allowed fema to draw down their 2025 budget early.

it's just an appropriation tactic. that gave fema $20 billion, but out of that $20 billion, $8 billion was for previous disaster that needed to be reimbursed because fema had stopped doing that because they ran out of money. you have $12 billion that fema has to play with. a lot of that is getting sucked up by hurricane helene, and obviously we have a category 4 storm in milton that's about to hit. so obviously that's why i'm deeply concerned about fema resources. the sba doesn't have the money that's going to be needed to get our businesses, our small businesses, our families through the disaster of helene and milton. they give out community disaster loans that keep those businesses afloat while the community is obviously recovering and building. its a major problem, and congress knew both of these things before they left in the middle of hurricane season, which was predicted to be one of the worst hurricane seasons on record. >> so that is the washington political part of this.

let me ask you about what's happening on the ground right now, congressman. you have warned if a category 5 storm comes into tampa, there are going to be resource challenges that have probably not been experienced before. we heard in the federal briefing, it isn't necessarily about the category of the storm as you well know now. what they're worried about is a combination of factors that will lead to this tremendous storm surge. from your perspective and your experience in emergency management, what are the specific resources you believe are most at risk? what do you think the biggest challenges are going to be here? >> well, obviously the biggest challenge is always whether or not people heeded the evacuation warnings and left. and so, you know, this storm is doing -- milton is doing something similar that ian did. everyone thought tampa was going to take a direct impact from ian. the storm is doing the same. it's not clear. that's why everyone needs to watch and pay attention from, you know, tampa bay all the way

down to, you know, to charlotte county. everyone needs to pay attention. little wiggles and wobbles, 60 miles make a huge difference. if a lot of people stayed, there are going to be a lot of swift water rescues that are going to go on. those assets, you know, a lot of them were in north carolina. a lot of them will have to shift back down here. there will also be all sorts of resources, generators will be a problem. oxygen could be a problem. fuel could be a problem. the division of emergency management exercised this. the good news is they know what the resource problems are going to be and are probably in the process of moving those from the west coast of the united states, days away, because the east coast resources have dried up because of hurricane helene, and now obviously milton. >> florida congressman jared moskowitz, we appreciate you taking the time to talk to us. thank you. much more hurricane coverage to come. we'll head to orlando where the

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it is good to be back with you on this second hour of "chris jansing reports." at this hour, a storm like nothing they have seen before. dire warnings that hurricane milton could bring double the storm surge and even stronger winds than helene when it slams into florida. millions rushing to get out as the window rapidly closes. we have al roker standing by. plus, a bustling city turned ghost town. tampa clears out ahead of a storm surge that could reach 12 feet or more. multiple tornadoes reported in that state. the dramatic new video that's coming in. our nbc news reporters are following all the