With the peak of hurricane season approaching, Florida officials are issuing a stark warning to residents across Northeast Florida: prepare now, and evacuate when ordered and no second-guessing.

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, along with Congressman Aaron Bean, Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters and other state and local leaders, gathered Thursday in Jacksonville to stress the importance of hurricane preparedness.

“If you get nine feet of storm surge… You can’t tread water that long,” Scott said. “You’re not going to survive that.”

Scott urged residents to take evacuation orders seriously, emphasizing that waiting too long not only endangers lives but also puts first responders at risk.

“If you don’t evacuate, then you are putting yourself and your family in harm’s way,” Scott said. “And on top of

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