"Kyle Boatright" wrote in
:

Because the media fixated on the idea that the hurricane was going to
hit Tampa, despite information from the NWS and the other weather
services that Tampa was just a best guess.

That's a Gene Pool Elimination Lottery reason.

Because it is a free country, and one freedom it to take risks that
would be unacceptable to others.

Free does not mean free-for-all. The governor has the power to force people
to leave their homes and move them to safety when there is a clear and
present danger to them. He should used it.