Ex-Dublin Mayor's flees Florida home with family Hurricane Milton nears

Former Dublin Lord Mayor Royston Brady has spoken of his family's evacuation from their Florida home as Hurricane Milton, now a Category 5 storm, approaches. The hurricane is set to hit Florida's west coast, with the Tampa Bay area, home to over 3.3 million people, bracing for potential widespread destruction.

Brady, who moved to the US in 2012 and works in hospitality, revealed that the hotel group he works for has kept one Miami property open to accommodate those fleeing the storm. Speaking on RTE 1's Today with Claire Byrne Show, Brady described the situation as "so worrying."

He and his family have moved into a hotel while the storm passes , he said.

• Hurricane Milton: Desperate Floridians make last-ditch preparations mere hours before ‘storm of the century’

• Mark Ruffalo turns to rising Irish actor to fight 'fracked gas' in Ireland

"We've moved into a hotel and whatever we come back to, we come back to," he said.

"We are in a flood area. There is a mandatory state of emergency being announced throughout Florida at the moment, which is very unique. You usually see it in targeted areas but this time round it's across the whole State, It's so worrying," he said.

Preparations have been made at their home to limit damage, including putting sandbags around the property and hurricane-proofing windows.

Brady continued: "But at a time like this, you are fighting against Mother Nature, so within the next 24 hours, it could pivot slightly, it could come down towards the South, it could shift. But hopefully it could maintain the track that it's on. Unfortunately for anyone living out towards Sarasota, Tampa district, it could be really devastating," reports the Irish Mirror .

He said there's been many times they've gone through a storm like this, and everything was okay. The best thing to do, however, evacuate to safety.

As Hurricane Milton advances, precautions have been taken for holidaymakers in Florida.

Around 70 Irish vacationers staying along the coast have been relocated to central Florida, according to American Holidays.

The firm's Bladhana Richardson talked about their current situation during an interview with RTE Radio 1's Today with Claire Byrne show: "The majority of them are based in Orlando at the moment," she stated.

• Hurricane Milton: 12 pictures show Florida's desperate attempts to prepare for massive 'life-threatening' storm
• Hurricane Helene: Elderly couple killed by falling tree in Tennessee found hugging each other in bedroom

"Anyone who has been on the coast, we have moved into central Florida. So away from the known affected areas and it is mainly couples at the moment. We do have some families, but as it's outside of school holidays, thankfully there's less families travelling at the moment."

"We're in constant contact with them. We have been moving their bookings if we need to move them. We've been giving them updates and asking them to do practical things like keep their phones charged and follow the guidance of the hotels where they'll be staying.

"All of those hotels and parks are fully equipped to deal with known hurricanes, so follow local advice."

Ms Richardson stated that tourists who were due to travel to the Tampa area on Wednesday and Thursday have been contacted, and their travel plans are being rearranged.