PERRY, Fla. — The Taylor County sheriff has a grim warning for residents who have chosen to ignore evacuation orders and wait out Hurricane Helene at home: Mark yourself with your information so officials can identify you later.

Taylor County expects to take a direct hit from the Category 4 storm, which is expected to make landfall Thursday night. Sheriff Wayne Padgett said the county will be “in the dead center of” the storm.

Taylor County, in northern Florida near the Big Bend region, is…