FALLOUT

Florida Evacuates Thousands of Inmates From Hurricane-Battered Prisons

As emergency officials continue to comb through the damage and concerns grow over missing residents.

As clean-up efforts continued throughout the Florida Panhandle on Sunday and rescue crews searched for more victims of Hurricane Michael, authorities announced that nearly 3,000 inmates had been evacuated from prisons severely damaged by the storm. The Florida Department of Corrections said four facilities had been closed due to “significant damage to roofs and security infrastructure.” The agency, which had faced calls to evacuate the inmates ahead of the Category-4 storm, stressed that no prisoners had been injured and all had access to food and water. Inmates at some facilities told loved ones a different story, however, saying they were told to drink tap water “at their own risk,” according to the Miami Herald. News of the evacuations came as emergency officials continued to assess the damage Sunday in some of the hardest hit areas, including Panama City and Mexico Beach.  With the death toll currently at 17, authorities fear that number could rise over the next few days, as hundreds of people are believed to have stayed behind in Mexico Beach despite mandatory evacuation orders. So far, the community has only recorded one death, and Mexico Beach Mayor Al Cathey said Sunday if that was the only fatality, “that’s going to be a miracle,” according to the Associated Press.

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