Just received a text, my friend in Tampa just evacuated because of Milton....

[a kennedy]

Last one she only received a lot of water…..none in her house, and she didn’t evacuate that one……this has gotta be so much worse, it’s a 5. Damn.

[Walleye]

1. The eye looks like a bomb-site, weather on radar like it did with Katrina. I hope it's not headed straight for Tampa.I

[Nictuku]

2. I have a friend who is 2 hours South of Tampa, 13 miles inland

They have not been officially evacuated, and they said they are not leaving. I'm very concerned for them. Even though they are Trumpers now. *sigh*. What a world. I still Love her. Known her for 35 years now. We have grown apart over politics. But Love is Love.

[Beachnutt]

3. She probably thinks its a hoax

sad....

[Nictuku]

6. I think it is more her husband than her.... but who knows.

[Sogo]

4. Good for her. Better safe than sorry.

I would imagine the roads are packed by now....

[spooky3]

5. I have a friend mid-state; she's not evacuating because

The whole state is in the path.

[Dulcinea]

16. I have a friend in Orlando who says the same thing.

I've invited him to make the road trip to metro ATL, though.

[spooky3]

17. That's good of you; I hope he can take you up on it.

[SWBTATTReg]

7. Yes, my friend in Tampa has been advised to evacuate too. Where to go? N. Carolina was slammed

pretty hard by Helene, I don't know about S. Carolina, I imagine that they too, got hit w/ a lot of rain and stuff too.

And more is coming too, perhaps they'll veer away from the southern coast, and stay in the Atlantic Ocean, not hit land.

[a kennedy]

8. Keeping fingers crossed.

I just can’t deal with it, and I’m MN. All I can do is send money.

[SWBTATTReg]

9. Yes, and just pray that the anticipated strength of Milton will weaken a lot, as it gets nearer the shoreline.

Good grief, these things are popping up right and left this year, hopefully it won't be a trend of the future. I am hoping for the best for all in FL.

[unc70]

10. NC, SC should be out of the path

We have a stalled front that will steer Milton more east than north. Western NC should be avoided. East of I-77 should be ok. The I-85 and I-95 corridors.

[mnhtnbb]

11. It is western NC slammed by Helene.

It's safe to evacuate to the inland area of the Triangle: Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill and surrounding areas, which were not much affected.

[SWBTATTReg]

14. Thanks for the clarification. These hurricanes are so big, so large, that it's hard to visualize them on the ground,

especially when you never have been in one. I've been in lots of tornadoes (midwest, plains) but not any hurricanes. One of my best friends lives in Tampa, so I am hoping for the best for all down there...hopefully at this time of year, there isn't too much traffic or such yet (snowbirds), and just mostly residents fleeing inland or further north, other points safer than Tampa perhaps.

[MissB]

12. my stepmom is not evacuating

she lives in Largo in a manufactured home. She is going to a friend's condo to ride it out.

[mnhtnbb]

13. Does she know that as of 2 pm

Milton has become the strongest Gulf hurricane in almost 20 years--since Rita in 2005--and it's headed straight for her? She should be encouraged to evacuate.

[MissB]

15. yes.

she is aware and has been encouraged to evacuate. She is in her 80s. She went to the grocery store this morning and was able to fill her car with fuel (said stations were out of gas yesterday).

I can't force her. She knows. I'm on the West Coast of the US, so not like I can swing by her place and say let's go. She has enough funds to take a vacation anywhere, she just doesn't want to leave.

[Fla Dem]

18. I am so troubled by what those on Florida's west coast will be going through.

It's terrible. You should see the news videos of the evacuations, traffic backed up for miles. Many of their homes like the ones in western NC will be utterly destroyed. They will have nothing to go home to. Many are still recovering from Hurricane Ian which was also devastating to Florida's west coast in 2023.

The route Milton is on now will bring the center just south of where I live in St Augustine. It looks like it will be a 1 or 2 level storm which is great considering what it will be when it hits the west coast as a 5.

I just pray there are no deaths and everyone on the affected west coast finds a safe place to ride it out.

[Marthe48]

19. Do what you can to stay safe

Good luck!