Hoosiers in Florida brace for Hurricane Milton

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Hoosiers in Florida are bracing for impact as Hurricane Milton nears the state’s Gulf Coast.

Amy Hoover and her husband said evacuating is not feasible, so they are staying put, in a one-story home with an old roof and windows, all while hoping for the best.

“It wasn’t an option for us not to so honestly we’re riding it out, out of the fact that we, well have eight kids,” Hoover said. “So the vehicle we have, so everywhere we go we make two trips because it doesn’t seat the eight children.”

Hoover was born in Florida and grew up in Indiana before returning, so this is nothing new, but she said this storm is different.

“[Hurricane] Helen just hit us ten days ago and I wasn’t scared then and I never am of storms,” Hoover said. “I don’t know, I usually go through it pretty unbothered but for some reason, I am super high anxiety right now.”

Magan Ratcliff lived in Indiana until college. Now she calls Tampa home. She is a 4th grade teacher at West Gate Christian School.

The teachers were set to go on a conference during the storm so the school is helping all the families evacuate to safety to Pensacola.

“Our principal and also the paster who is also in charge of the school is helping any of the teachers who wanted to get away,” Ratcliff said. “Our school got that bus and is driving it for us.”

Ratcliff is in Evacuation Zone A. She had to leave her house boarded up.

“I’ve been down here for about 18 years now and this is the first time that I’ve actually been nervous. Very nervous,” Ratcliff said. “When (Hurricane) Irma happened I evacuated 3 miles north of my house, not very far at all, but this one could be catastrophic to my house.”

Ratcliff said traffic is terrible and it has taken about four times as long to get to northern Florida.

Hurricane Milton is expected to have a devastating storm surge. The Tampa area could see up to 15 feet of water. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said this level of water could swallow a house.