Florida's West Coast evacuees face uncertainty, traffic heading home

MIAMI - As residents who fled Florida's West Coast due to Hurricane Milton began their journey home, they are facing heavy traffic and uncertainty about what awaits them.

Among the evacuees are Amanda Cielenski and her four daughters from Punta Gorda, who, like thousands of others, are anxious to return but unsure of the conditions they will find.

"We're ready to get home, but it's been hard," Cielenski said, describing the challenges of evacuation. "We had to find somewhere to stay, and there's a lot of traffic."

The Cielenskis are among many who left the area ahead of the storm and are now dealing with traffic jams, particularly on I-75 westbound, where backups stretch for miles.

Drivers, including Amanda, made stops in Weston to refuel and take a break from the long journey.

"It's nerve-racking," she said. "We don't know what the roads will look like, or what condition our home will be in. It took us about six hours to get here, and it's going to be tricky getting back."

Others, like Brian, a Venice Beach resident, also made the difficult decision to leave. Having ridden out previous storms, Brian said the situation felt different this time.

"I'm married and my wife wanted to be safe, so we evacuated," he said. "The traffic was unbearable, but making sure she was happy was worth it."

With roads congested and uncertainty lingering, the return home for evacuees like the Cielenski family is marked by both relief and apprehension as they brace for what comes next.