Connecticut couple cuts honeymoon short to escape Hurricane Helene

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — A Connecticut couple was forced to cut their honeymoon short to escape Hurricane Helene .

Newlywed Hannah Pleines and her husband got married on Sept. 21 in Newington. She said their wedding day and honeymoon to Jacksonville, Florida, took months to plan.

“I definitely didn’t expect the honeymoon to go like this,” she said.

They arrived on Monday and soon realized Hurricane Helene was expected to rapidly intensify and barrel into Florida’s Gulf Coast.

“We couldn’t tell there was dangerous weather coming in until Wednesday afternoon when we had gone to the beach, and the red hurricane flags were up on the beach, the clouds were low, and the tides were higher than normal,” Pleines said.

That weather forced them to change plans, cutting their honeymoon short.

“A lot of what contributed to my anxiety was the news stuff coming out of Florida, with ‘put your name and social security number on your body if you don’t evacuate,’ she said.

Pleines said they decided to drive to Atlanta ahead of Helene’s landfall. They narrowly avoided the worst of the deadly storm that packed winds up to 140 miles per hour.

She and her husband fly back to Connecticut on Friday.

“I give it up to God that I made it out and that the family I am building made it out,” Pleines said. “To the ones that lost their homes and lost their lives, I pray for them, and I hope that they can put their lives back together.”

To assist in the response to Helene, our parent company, Nexstar Media, is partnering with the American Red Cross to help with relief efforts. Donations to the Red Cross are critical for relief efforts from this storm and future disasters.

People looking to donate to the American Red Cross as they assist Floridians affected by Hurricane Helene can do so by clicking here .

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