Florida residents find solace in Wisconsin after catching last flights out

One of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record is projected to slam into Florida, and people are catching the last flights out.

• Travelers at Appleton Airport are sharing their experiences of evacuating ahead of Hurricane Milton, one of the strongest hurricanes projected to hit Florida
• University of Tampa students and a St. Petersburg homeowner from Wisconsin recount the challenges they faced in securing last-minute flights out of Florida
• Evacuees expressed relief at escaping the storm’s path but remain anxious about the fate of their homes

(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story, with additional details for the web)

Harrison Greene and Avery Brown, University of Tampa students, said, “We're just like, 'We have to get out. The entire state of Florida is going to be under.'”

Greene and Brown are originally from the Fox Valley, but they now go to college in Tampa.

"We attend the University of Tampa, and if you know anything about U-Tampa, you know it's right on the Hillsborough River. So we're definitely at risk for storm surges as well as other hurricane outcomes," Greene said.

The University told them to evacuate as soon as possible. Thankfully, they were able to catch the last flight out of Tampa and get home.

“We found out yesterday, I believe, or was it the day before, that the airport would be closing at 9 a.m., so it was very close,” Brown added.

Greg Paielli, a St. Petersburg homeowner originally from Wisconsin, already had his Florida home battered by Hurricane Helene.

"I had five feet of water in my condo. My boat was on the other side of the bay. It was in someone's yard," Paielli said.

Paielli had already returned to Wisconsin to catch this Sunday's Packers game. When he heard Milton was next, he returned to St. Petersburg to prepare his home.

But getting out, he says, was a challenge.

"Last night, no gas. I tried to get gas to fill my truck just in case my flight got canceled, so I had a way to get out. The restaurants were closed—most of them. I had a reservation at a hotel, I get to the hotel, it's closed. Boarded up,” Paielli said.

But like Harrison and Avery, he also made it on the last flight.

"I just wanted to make sure I got out!" Paielli added.

Other travelers told me they're just happy to be out of Milton's path, but hope that when they go back to Florida, they'll have something to come back to.