‘I thought of Katrina’: Tampa residents evacuate ahead of Milton

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — With Milton bearing down on the Tampa Bay area, some neighbors who spoke with News Channel 8 have drawn comparisons to other catastrophic storms such as hurricanes Charley, Andrew and Katrina.

“It’s sad,” Robert Zastudil said. “I think Florida has been dodging stuff like this for years and it’s just our time now.”

People in Tampa are used to hurricanes turning, even at the last second, and missing our area.

But for the first time for many, a direct hit is looming.

“They’re scared,” Zastudil said. “They’re scared, but they don’t want to go.”

“We want to leave, but we really want to stay,” Zastudil said. “We’re being told that we need to leave, but we’re scared.”

“Are we making the right decision?” he said.

Many are calling Hurricane Helene a ‘wake up call,’ as people got feet of floodwater in their home from a storm 100 miles from our coast.

“At one point there, I was on the roof and saw the water coming from there,” Reece Atilla said. “I thought of Katrina.”

“I’m like, oh my God,” he said. “This is just– this is real.”

Drive through areas of Tampa and there are still piles of debris. But the real story lies inside.

Maybe it’s someone’s daughter’s favorite teddy bear, a grandpa’s recliner or wedding photos they’ll never be able to get back.

One by one, cranes are picking up these priceless memories as people in Tampa prepare their houses again, this time, not knowing if they’ll have a home to come back to.

“Either way, we think we’re going to get really strong winds that we really haven’t seen before in our lifetime,” Stephan Koontz said.

Their main message?

Get out while you can.

“You can replace cars, you can replace homes, but you’re not going to replace your life or loved ones,” Atilla said.

“If you haven’t decided to leave, there’s no reason to consider it,” Zastudil said. “Just go.”

“Pack up and go,” he said.

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