On Wednesday, October 9, an incomplete evacuation alert triggered panic among Seminole County residents in Florida as Hurricane Milton neared the state. The initial alert, a general warning, advised people in the county to leave without specifying which areas were affected, leaving many worried for their safety.
The alert, which went out in the early morning hours, contained only a brief “emergency alert” message instructing people to evacuate due to Milton. Minutes later, a follow-up message clarified that the evacuation order applied only to residents of mobile homes, flood-prone areas, and those with special needs. However, this short delay caused a wave of confusion and anxiety in the local community.
Locals took to social media to express their frustration and fear. One resident tweeted, “Your first alert terrified this community and you’ve dropped the ball clarifying, sending folks scrambling for accurate info.” Another resident echoed the sentiment, writing, “You almost gave me a heart attack with that first message.” On Facebook, another resident criticized the notification, calling it “a crap notification with no details until minutes later.”
Jessica Brunner, a Seminole County resident, shared with WKMG that the alert disrupted her morning, leaving her in a state of panic. “I woke up and was immediately startled by the [first] notification,” she said. “I was barely awake and trying to think about how to get my cats and me to safety. I was scared and confused.”
A county spokesperson later explained that the initial alert was limited by the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), which restricts messages to 90 characters. The follow-up alert, sent just minutes later, clarified which groups were affected by the evacuation order.
As Hurricane Milton approached Florida’s western coast, state and federal agencies issued warnings about potentially deadly conditions, including powerful storm surges and high winds. Millions across the region were advised to prepare for evacuation, with Florida Emergency Management Executive Director Kevin Guthrie emphasizing, “Drowning deaths due to storm surge are 100% preventable if you leave.”
The scare has prompted discussions about improving emergency alert systems to ensure clearer, more timely communication during crises, especially for vulnerable populations.