Didn’t evacuate for Hurricane Ian? Here’s how to get help.

As Hurricane Ian makes landfall in southwestern Florida, state officials are asking residents who are sheltering in place to provide some critical information that can be relayed to first responders in case of an emergency.

The shelter-in-place survey asks for some basic information such as the address where you are, how many people are with you, if you have any pets, etc.

In a press conference Wednesday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said most people in evacuation zones left, but some residents “chose to stay.” He said it is particularly important for those residents to fill out the form so that first responders in these hazardous areas can identify those who may need help.

The state is asking the U.S. Department of Defense for additional airlift hoists and high-water vehicles to aid efforts to help people in areas that have been highly impacted by Ian, DeSantis said.

More than 300,000 people in the Tampa Bay area were told to evacuate. Pinellas County had mandatory evacuation orders for zones A, B and C. Hillsborough County had a mandatory evacuation for zones A and B.

In the Tampa Bay area Wednesday morning, large amounts of water from the bay drained out into the Gulf of Mexico as Ian approached — a result of its location north of the storm’s center as the winds turned counterclockwise toward the Gulf. The anticipated storm surge has not yet gushed back into the bay, but Tampa Bay is expected to get as much as 4 to 6 feet of storm surge from Ian, according to the National Hurricane Center.