Florida Mom of 6 in Tears as Hurricane Milton Approaches: 'Where Do We Go?'

Mar. 15, 2025

Vehicles drive along a flooded street as Hurricane Helene churns offshore on Sept. 26, 2024 in St. Pete Beach, Fla.Photo:Joe Raedle/Getty

Joe Raedle/Getty

“There has been hours of standstill traffic, and gas stations all throughout the state are already running out because people from Helene came down,” she says responding to a comment. “Y’all forget we just had a hurricane,Hurricane Helene, so people up north are making their way down. People in Tampa are making their way either further north or down south. I’m already down south, so I’m as far west as we can go.”

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Flood waters inundate the main street after Hurricane Helene passed offshore on Sept. 27, 2024 in Tarpon Springs, Fla.Joe Raedle/Getty

The mom goes on to say that despite everything, her family is as prepared as they can be. They have a generator, gas and hurricane-proof windows. “We have what we can,” she says. “The only thing we can’t control is the storm surge.” She adds that because they are in Zone A, along the water and typically the first zone considered for evacuation, they will try to find a place inland if they do need to leave.

The user also mentions that many strangers have offered their homes for her family to stay in. While she appreciates the offers, she doesn’t want her family to stay in a stranger’s house, which she considers a “life or death” situation. People have also reached out asking to Venmo or CashApp money, which the mom believes isn’t the focus of this situation.

“People were like, ‘Why didn’t you prepare better?’ " she adds. “There’s no preparing. We literally prepare week to week to feed our kids; you can’t just prepare for a hurricane. Like I said, we do what we can to prepare, making sure we’ve got gas, a generator, and things for when the power goes out.”

She continues, “What people also don’t realize is that people who evacuated from [Hurricane] Ian took two full weeks to get back into town because gas stations were running out. You couldn’t make your way back in. So I don’t know where I’m supposed to go?”

The streets are flooded near Peachtree Creek after hurricane Helene brought in heavy rains over night on Sept. 27, 2024 in Atlanta.Megan Varner/Getty

Megan Varner/Getty

“I’m not going to take people’s money and then get stuck out of state somewhere and can’t afford to make it back,” she continues. “There are so many people far worse off than we are. None of those videos were meant to sound like a sob story.”

Members of law enforcement use a special vehicle in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on Sept. 27, 2024 near Steinhatchee, Fla.Sean Rayford/Getty

Sean Rayford/Getty

“Unless people are in your exact situation, they need to keep silent!!! Praying for you and your family!!!” one person writes.

“I followed you so I can stay updated on your posts. I’m in Ft. Myers and I’m staying too. No where to go. Good luck to you and your family,” someone else says.

source: people.com