<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=420XFd_0vmQZVcE00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=420XFd_0vmQZVcE00" width="1320" height="743" >MILTON, Fla. -- Many people who evacuated from Hurricane Helene's path found refuge in Northwest Florida. Hotels, RV parks and camp grounds in the area have been busy this week. The cost of doing that can be substantial.The Red Cross says those are expenses that disaster relief from the government or insurance will not usually cover.For many families, evacuating their homes was a difficult decision both emotionally and financially."A thousand dollars for three nights is about average for what we have to pay in terms of fuel driving here with a diesel truck," says Wakulla County resident Timothy Camper. "Then you pull in a camper, then the cost of food and stuff like that. So, you’re looking at over $1,000 just for a couple nights today."A study done by Penney Hoarder Magazine found hurricane evacuees could spend $1,200 to $5,000 to ride out the storm. The highest cost is coming from hotels and Airbnbs.The Splash RV Park in Milton discounted their rates for evacuees. Park management says lots quickly filled with RVs from the Big Bend region -- including Tallahassee resident Nathan Long, his family of 4, and 8 pets."We grabbed the photos, we grabbed the things that we couldn’t replace and made sure we had those with us," Long says. " Anything we lost there, we can replace. Mostly the lives of our animals and our kids is what we mainly want to get out of the way.""Lots of people got out of the storm path in time and I’m glad for that," Nathan's son, Benjamin, says. "And I hope everyone’s ok."Terri Jenkins is the executive director of the American Red Cross' Northwest Florida Chapter. She says families are not reimbursed for housing costs when they evacuate and many families they assist can't afford to leave their homes."Ninety-percent of our clients are at a level where even just the $400 expense, they don't have that in the savings account," Jenkins says."People who opt to go to the hotel, again that's there choice," she says. "They choose not to go to the shelter. There's typically not any reimbursement for something like that. Only financial assistance is issued."Experts say families with a low budget should stock up on gas at home to avoid increased gas station prices. Also, stay with a friend or a family member outside of the storm's path.The Red Cross encourages people to know where there's a shelter nearby and take advantage of it."More than 70 shelters had been opened in the North Florida and Central Florida area," says Jenkins. "If people download the Red Cross emergency app, it is a great resource for emergency information and safety purposes."The American Red Cross says your family should always have an evacuation plan if a storm comes our way.</div></body>

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Helene evacuees face high costs as they seek refuge in Northwest Florida

MILTON, Fla. -- Many people who evacuated from Hurricane Helene's path found refuge in Northwest Florida. Hotels, RV parks and camp grounds in the area have been busy this week. The cost of doing that can be substantial. The Red Cross says those are expenses that disaster relief from the...