Florida is facing an upcoming historic hurricane, possibly reaching winds of 200 mph, a category 4.
In the past few weeks, Florida has been hit with devastation. Hurricane Helene had swept by the surrounding areas, destroying and taking over 230 lives with it only a couple weeks ago.
With Hurricane Milton, it’s a shock to the residents of Florida. Some Liberty students, like Wesley Bartlow (10), have family members in the hurricane’s path. Patty and Paul Burman, Bartlow’s grandparents, live in Bradenton, and are not planning on leaving.
“I originally planned on leaving immediately,” Patty said in a phone interview Tuesday. “Paul is not in any hurry to go, due to the 20 hours of backed up traffic.”
Concerned about her safety and the potential for devastation, Patty was eager to evacuate to a safer location. Paul, on the other hand, was more hesitant to leave due to traffic and thought it would be best to wait it out.
Many people wanted to leave, afraid for their safety, resulting in a 20-hour traffic back up. Even though there have been such terrible advancements with hurricane Milton, Bartlow’s grandparents continue to stay sheltered in.
Unfortunately, many people in Florida don’t have the choice like the Burmans. They simply don’t have the money to evacuate and have to stay in their home, hoping to protect their belongings.
In most cases of people staying at their home in Florida, they are taking the protective measures needed. Many people have begun to set up shutters or barricades on their windows and doors due to the incoming hurricane.
Mason Molitor (11) also has grandparents in the town of Parrish, which is located approximately 40 minutes from Tampa. They decided to evacuate their home on Tuesday and stay at a hotel.
Earlier in the week, they were still contemplating if they should leave. They are not in an evacuation zone but in a power outage zone. They were also concerned hearing about 20 hours of backed up traffic.
They gathered some non-perishable food (pre-packed containers), ice packs, etc.
Some people are able to evacuate safely though, like Eva Kaminski. Kaminski is going to college at the University of Central Florida. She had to leave due to Milton being a category 4 in the area she was staying at. Kaminski has some advice for people who are staying in Florida and may not be able to leave.
“Get flashlights, non-perishable foods, fill up your gas tank, and put shutters over the window,” Kaminski said.
