Davie, Fla. – Evacuations Intensify as Hurricane Milton Approaches Florida’s Gulf Coast
As Hurricane Milton gears up to make landfall on Wednesday, residents along Florida’s Gulf Coast are evacuating in droves, seeking refuge in South Florida. Long lines of traffic stretched along the eastbound lanes of Alligator Alley on Tuesday, with evacuees from Tampa, Naples, Fort Myers, and Sarasota making their way toward Broward County.
To ease congestion, officials closed the westbound lanes, allowing for a smoother flow of traffic heading east. Many evacuees who left on Monday reported little to no traffic, contrasting with the chaos on Tuesday.
Karina Kobil, who recently weathered Hurricane Helene in St. Petersburg, shared her concerns: “We live in Shore Acres, a neighborhood prone to flooding. My mom is on permanent oxygen, so we were fearful of losing power for too long.”
Others echoed similar sentiments, expressing anxiety about what awaited them upon returning home. “It’s scary, it’s really scary,” said Lori Bulock, reflecting on the uncertainty of their situation.
Despite the challenging journey, evacuees were determined to find safety. Chris Kobil, who hit the road by 6 a.m., opted for a different route than many others. “I took 41 over; everyone said 75 was like a parking lot,” noted Niki Bauer. Russell Bulock added, “It took about twice as long as usual, but it was manageable.”
Many families drove through rain, making their way to hotels in Broward County and Miami-Dade. Carry Harbord, an evacuee, captured the collective hope: “Just hold tight, wait and see what happens, and pray for our whole state, the whole west coast.”
As vehicles piled up on the evacuation bridge in St. Petersburg Beach, Neil Palenzuela shared his experience of fleeing his home in Pinellas County. “It’s an inconvenience, but one well worth it,” he said, humorously noting the family pets he brought along—two dogs and a cat.
Neil and his family, who live near Clearwater, made the decision to evacuate as Milton’s threat loomed. “If this thing is supposed to hit at maybe a Cat 3, 4, or 5, I wasn’t going to stick around. It’s life-threatening; it’s not worth the risk.”
Despite securing a room at the Hampton Inn in Weston for the first two nights, Neil faced challenges booking a room for Wednesday. The hotel manager reported that 128 rooms had been filled with evacuees from the west coast in just one day.
With limited hotel availability, many families might find themselves on the move once again, seeking shelter as Hurricane Milton approaches.
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