For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’

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By Paul P. Murphy and Michelle Krupa, CNN

5 minute read

Published 1:36 PM EDT, Wed October 9, 2024

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For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (3)

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‘There’s nowhere to go’: Floridians tell CNN why they’re not following evacuation orders

01:53 - Source: CNN

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Isla del Sol, Florida CNN —

With the rain already slicing diagonals into the water off this transformed mangrove island in St. Petersburg, Vivienne Marran stood firm in her choice.

“We can ride it out,” she told CNN less than 20 hours before Hurricane Milton was due to smash in from the Gulf of Mexico not too far from here down Florida’s western shore.

NOAA / NASA Related live-story Hurricane Milton’s outer bands reach Florida with time running out to escape

“The alternatives weren’t too inviting, you know?” Marran explained Wednesday morning from the condo complex just off Tampa Bay where two weeks ago she rode out Hurricane Helene as it left 20 Floridians dead, countless others scrambling for shelter and a vasttrail of debris Milton now threatened to use as a missile depot.

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“I mean, they tell us we’ve only got to go 20 miles” inland, she said. “But because of the last storm, there’s nowhere to go, really. I mean, I guess they’ve got evacuation places, but we’ve been through a lot of these, and it’s a concrete building, and I just feel safer here than elsewhere.”

Nearly 7.3 million Floridians live in 15 counties with mandatory evacuation orders. But even as officials kept begging people to leave coastal areas – “You need to help us by evacuating,” Tampa Fire Rescue’s chief pleaded Wednesday morning, adding, “I’ve never seen anything of this magnitude” – a subset of residents across Florida’s western edge were staying put.

A man fills up reserve gas containers, as Hurricane Milton approaches, in Tampa, Florida October 8, 2024. REUTERS/Ricardo Arduengo Ricardo Arduengo/Reuters Related card Gas stations running out of fuel in Florida as residents rush to evacuate

Some of their neighbors already had left, packing bridges and highways to get away from storm surge zones forecast to flood up to 15 feet. But these holdouts and others had weighed factors – from the availability of gas and the cost and relative safety of inland hotels to the headache of getting back to possibly-swamped properties – and opted against evacuation.

There also was Milton’s uncertain track, with forecasters warning the major hurricane could wobble seemingly without warning, shifting its landfall target and thus its path across the Peninsula.

“I can’t tell you how many times that people have left here for previous storms and ended up in it,” Marran said.

For others, another evacuation two weeks after Helene – and deep into the 2024 hurricane season –simply was too much.

“It’s, like, PTSD,” said Holly Speckhart, who planned to weather Milton with Marran in their five-story building while watching Tampa Bay Rays baseball, sipping a Modelo, resting on inflatable mattresses in an interior hallway and, if needed, escaping the worst in an interior stairwell.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (6)

Traffic flows east Tuesday along Interstate 4 as residents continue to follow evacuation orders ahead of Hurricane Milton.

“All my friends are mad at me from Ohio,” added Speckhart, a Cincinnati native. “They keep calling me, saying, ‘You’re gonna die.’ And then you got (Tampa Mayor) Jane Castor saying, ‘If you don’t get out, you’re gonna die.’

“But … if Tampa would get it, I mean, you figure, what are they gonna be, 12 to 15 feet? I mean, that could be two stories,” the fourth-floor-dweller said of the potential surge. Their building’s top floors are much higher than that, she went on, and some units have hurricane shutters and windows.

“My biggest thing is: I don’t want to leave,” Speckhart concluded. “I just see what happens in a week. You know, you got mold, you got damage. I figure I can be here.”

Losing a pylon ‘scares me the most’

Some 100 miles south on Sanibel Island – devastated by 2022’s Hurricane Ian – Bridgit Stone-Budd also didn’t want to abandon her property and so planned to ride out Milton in the home on raised supports, she told CNN.

U.S. government officials estimate the hurricane’s damage will be at least $1 billion, highlighting the urgent need for accelerated climate change mitigation efforts. Clipped From Video video Related video Hurricane Milton expected to cause $1 billion in damages

“I think the most important thing is we know we won’t be able to get back,” she said Wednesday morning. “That’s the No. 1 reason.”

Indeed, the city of Sanibel issued an evacuation order, with those who stay subject to a 24-hour curfew.

Also part of Stone-Budd’s calculus: Her house did not flood in prior hurricanes, she said, though she allowed that was no guarantee of safety.

“If we were to lose a pylon and the house wasn’t sturdy,” she said, “that scares me the most.”

Elsewhere along Florida’s west coast, neighborhoods had gone quiet by midday Wednesday as inland shelters filled up, barrier island bridges shut down and tornadoes from then-Category 4 Milton began spinning up on land.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (8)

A man cleans debris inside a gas station in Lakewood Park, Florida, on Thursday, October 10. A tornado caused by Hurricane Milton hit the area.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (9)

A tree toppled by the storm lies atop a home in Siesta Key, Florida, on Thursday,

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (10)

Boats are piled up on a pier after they were washed ashore when Hurricane Milton passed through Punta Gorda, Florida, on Thursday.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (11)

Liz Kelly and her son Matt salvage items from their destroyed home in North Fort Myers, Florida, on Thursday. A tornado associated with Hurricane Milton ripped through their neighborhood. Matt dove on top of his mother as the roof was peeling off the home. She says he saved her life.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (12)

A vehicle drives though a flooded street after Hurricane Milton in Siesta Key on Thursday.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (13)

Members of the Volusia Sheriff's Office rescue residents from a flooded area of South Daytona, Florida, on Thursday.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (14)

A house lies toppled off its stilts after Milton passed through Florida's Bradenton Beach.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (15)

The roof of Tropicana Field, destroyed by Hurricane Milton, is seen in St. Petersburg on Thursday. Tropicana Field is the home of Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (16)

Austin Stolpe clears mud from the floor of the Celtic Ray Public House after it was inundated with floodwaters in Punta Gorda.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (17)

People look at an uprooted tree in Odessa, Florida, on Thursday.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (18)

A man cleans sand off a beach-side condominium unit in Venice, Florida, on Thursday.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (19)

Cars move slowly through Matlacha, Florida, on Thursday after Hurricane Milton damaged power lines.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (20)

A person rides a bicycle past a damaged building in the Palmetto Beach neighborhood of Tampa on Thursday.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (21)

A boat and debris are seen along a road in Bradenton, Florida, on Thursday.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (22)

People walk near damaged beachside property in Venice on Thursday.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (23)

The building that houses the Tampa Bay Times newspaper was damaged when a construction crane fell during the storm in St. Petersburg, Florida.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (24)

People are rescued from an apartment complex in Clearwater on Thursday.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (25)

Debris clogs a roadway in Siesta Key on Thursday.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (26)

A satellite image captures Hurricane Milton reaching the coast of Florida on Wednesday, October 9.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (27)

A man in Sarasota, Florida, records the storm as it makes landfall on Wednesday.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (28)

The Segundo family, who evacuated from nearby Davis Island, plays a board game at a hotel in Tampa on Wednesday.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (29)

Brandon Marlow walks through a flooded street in Fort Myers, Florida, on Wednesday.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (30)

Marie Cook reacts to her damaged home after a tornado formed by Milton touched down in Wellington, Florida, on Wednesday.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (31)

Stephen Lundgren lies on the floor of the Vanguard High School cafeteria as he tries to get some sleep at the Ocala, Florida, shelter on Wednesday.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (32)

Ron Rook, who said he was looking for people in need of help or debris to clear, walks down a deserted street in downtown Tampa on Wednesday.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (33)

Check-in kiosks are covered in protective plastic at Orlando International Airport on Wednesday. The airport ceased operations at 8 a.m. Wednesday.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (34)

Palm Beach County Sheriff's deputies attend to residents affected by a reported tornado in Wellington on Wednesday.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (35)

People walk through the Disney Springs shopping complex in Orlando ahead of the hurricane's arrival on Wednesday.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (36)

Payton Wyse and Andrew Goncharsky pack what they can as they evacuate their Fort Myers apartment on Wednesday.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (37)

Christian Burke stands at the door of his home in Gulfport, Florida, on Wednesday. Outside, a boat sits on its side due to Hurricane Helene.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (38)

A Lee County deputy sheriff talks to a driver near the Fort Myers Beach bridge, which was closed on Wednesday.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (39)

Connor Ferran surveys what is left of his Fort Myers home after what appeared to be a tornado tore the roof off on Wednesday. Milton spawned several tornadoes as it neared landfall.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (40)

Nicolette Mariano, CEO and aquaculture biologist for her oyster farm, Treasure Coast Shellfish, secures oysters from the farm's dockside nursery in Sebastian, Florida, on Wednesday.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (41)

An employee of Roofs Done Right attaches metal shutters to a building in Palm Beach, Florida, on Wednesday.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (42)

Ted Carlson puts McKenzie, a cat belonging to his friend Evan Purcell, into a pickup truck as they evacuate Purcell's home on Florida's Anna Maria Island on Tuesday, October 8. "This place couldn't handle Helene," Carlson said. "It's all going to be gone."

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (43)

Members of the Florida Army National Guard check for any remaining residents in nearly deserted Bradenton Beach on Tuesday. Around them, piles of debris from Hurricane Helene still sit outside damaged homes.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (44)

A man wades through a street in Havana, Cuba, that was flooded on Wednesday.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (45)

A hospital worker walks by as an AquaFence flood wall is put into place around Tampa General Hospital on Tuesday.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (46)

NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick shared this photo from the International Space Station on Tuesday. "We flew over Hurricane Milton about 90 minutes ago," he said. "Here is the view out the Dragon Endeavour window."

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (47)

Aurelio Ortiz sits in his flooded home in Celestún, Mexico, on Tuesday.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (48)

Debris from homes flooded by Hurricane Helene is piled up on curbs in Port Richey, Florida, on Tuesday.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (49)

People prepare sandbags in Orlando on Tuesday.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (50)

John Fedor waits for transportation to a shelter after his flight was canceled at the Tampa International Airport on Tuesday.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (51)

David Jalving throws outdoor furniture into his father's pool in Fort Myers to prepare for Hurricane Milton.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (52)

Heavy traffic flows northbound on Interstate 75 as people evacuate the Tampa Bay area late on Monday, October 7.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (53)

A man clears debris left by Hurricane Helene from his home in Treasure Island, Florida, on Monday.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (54)

A dock is damaged in St. Pete Beach, Florida, on Monday.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (55)

Piles of debris from Hurricane Helene remain uncollected in Treasure Island on Monday.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (56)

Domenic Gerald takes a break to watch the latest forecast while packing up his father's vacation home in Fort Myers Beach on Monday.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (57)

A man in Progreso boards up an apartment building to protect it from Hurricane Milton on Monday.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (58)

Contractors in New Port Richey help clean debris left by Hurricane Helene.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (59)

Tropicana Field opened Monday as a staging site for workers and operations. Part of its roof was later torn off during the storm.

For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (60)

Customers check mostly empty bread shelves at a shopping warehouse in Kissimmee, Florida, on Sunday, October 6.

In pictures: Hurricane Milton unleashes its fury

“It was ghost town when we just left” Anna Maria Island, said Holmes Beach Police Chief William Tokajer, who the prior day had advised anyone opting to ride out the monster storm on the barrier island to “write your name and Social Security number on your leg.”

“The island has been secured,” he said late Wednesday morning. “We did a final pass-through, and I didn’t see anybody that was still there.”

“We’re off island until the storm passes, so there’ll be no fire, no police, no EMS, no first responders, nobody to answer the 911 calls for service that come out there,” Tokajer continued. “We’ve locked down the island, and we’ll return after the storm passes and check for safety before we let people out.”

Puzzles, books, card games and cold dinner

For her part, Marran earlier Wednesday had weighed what she considered the worst risks of facing down Milton on Isla del Sol, some 30 miles north of Holmes Beach via the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.

cnn video Related video Viral kayaker from Helene says he’ll ride out Milton in similar fashion

“We’ll be OK from the surge,” concluded the native Londoner, who lives on the second story and can access higher floors. “The wind is a problem. I’m worried about the wind, but you know, … we have a plan” to get to the condo tower’s interior spaces.

As for the likelihood of losing power, “we’ve got lots of candles,” said Marran, who leads the homeowners association here. “Hopefully keep the iPads and the iPhones charged then, you know, I’ve got some puzzles. We’ve got books. I do play cards,” particularly the game Hand and Foot, using up to six decks – with jokers.

She, Speckhart and a few others also had plenty of food to cook, including some left by neighbors who’d evacuated, and “stuff that we can eat cold for a couple of days,” Marran said.

And, of course, the Isla del Sol residents who planned to endure Milton’s fury in top-risk Zone A– against all official advice –had each other.

“Once you lose the television,” she said, “you’ve just got to talk.”

CNN’s Mary Gilbert, Rebekah Riess, Andy Rose and John Berman contributed to this report.

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For some riding out Milton along Florida’s west coast, ‘the alternatives weren’t too inviting’ | CNN (2024)

Losing a pylon ‘scares me the most’

In pictures: Hurricane Milton unleashes its fury

Puzzles, books, card games and cold dinner