FLORIDA — Millions of people are bracing for impact with Hurricane Milton expected to make landfall on Florida’s central Gulf coast on Wednesday evening.

Officials have issued mandatory evacuation orders across 11 Florida counties with a combined population of 5.9 million people. The Tampa Bay area faces the possibility of widespread destruction after avoiding direct hits from major hurricanes for more than a century.

Some Rochester natives are trying to get out and others decided to ride the hurricane out. Milton is expected to be one of the strongest storms to ever make U.S. landfall. Here’s what to know if you have loved ones in Florida or want to help with hurricane relief.

How can people check on loved ones if they don’t hear back during the storm?

The American Red Cross can check on loved ones if you’re not able to connect with them. Send the Red Cross Reunification Team the information about where your loved one lives through this link. Click on the tab that says “Find Loves Ones in Florida (Milton)”.

The Red Cross also has these tips for contacting loved ones during the storm:

• Call during off-peak hours for the best chance of getting through
• Send a text message, which may go through when phone calls cannot
• Check your loved one’s social media pages as they may have already gone online to tell their story
• Send an email
• Call friends and relatives who may have already been in contact with your loved one
• Call people or places where your loved one is well-known such as neighbors, work, school, or senior center

How can people donate or volunteer to hurricane relief?

People can donate to the American Red Cross here or become a disaster volunteer at the organization. The Red Cross says cash is best so they select the supplies they need.

Red Cross volunteers will help to provide food, shelter, and care for people impacted by Milton and finding loved ones who have lost power. You can search for volunteer openings here.

How can you fact-check what you’ve heard about the hurricane?

With so much talk about Hurricane Milton on social media, how can you fact-check to make sure what you’re hearing is accurate or avoid getting scammed?

FEMA has a web page where you can fact-check rumors. Some false rumors are that FEMA is blockading people in Florida and preventing evacuations, FEMA only provides loans to disaster survivors, and that funding for FEMA disaster response was diverted to support international efforts or border related issues.

Related Coverage:

• Rochester natives and residents bracing for Hurricane Milton in Florida
• Greece woman living in Florida braces for Hurricane Milton
• Bergen couple gets help with donating generator to drive for hurricane relief
• First Alert Weather In-Depth: Rapid intensification of Hurricane Milton