(WWJ) Michigan residents vacationing in the path of Hurricane Milton are trying to get out of Florida as evacuation orders are posted for much of the west side of the Sunshine State.
WWJ Newsradio 950's Jackie Paige, who cut her vacation short, called on the live line as she was preparing to fly out of Fort Meyers on Tuesday.
Paige told WWJ's Pattie Vitale and Jonathan Carlson her cell phone has just been blowing up with emergency alerts.
"When you pull up your phone and you look at the weather forecast in Detroit, sometimes you'll see an alert that says Severe Thunderstorm Watch or Severe Thunderstorm Warning. Currently, there's a Hurricane Warning, there's a Tropical Cyclone Warning, there's an Areal Flood Warning, there's a Flood Watch, there's Mandatory Evacuation orders," Paige said. "I've never seen anything like this."
Paige was told storm surge of four to eight feet is expected near Naples, where she was vacationing.
The airport in Tampa is closing this morning.
"A lot of traffic yesterday, we noticed it. All the stores are shutting down, all the restaurants are shutting down. You know, they don't mess around," Paige said. "I mean, this is a big, big storm, and it gives me the chills to talk about it. This is not something that we've ever had to face in Michigan."
Paige said the local residents she's talked are staying calm. Many of them are used to hurricanes, and seem like they're prepared.
"They're like, 'Yeah, this is what happens when you live in Florida.' But the snowbirds that come down here, and some who have retired down here, they're getting out," Paige said. "They're afraid, as they should be."
Hurricane Milton, which is forecast to make landfall on Wednesday, has already become the second-strongest hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico in recorded history, following behind only Hurricane Rita. And its current path could make it the first direct on Tampa Bay since 1921.
It’s expected at that time to be a Category 3 storm, which have winds of 111 to 129-miles per hour.
Monday evening on CNN. a stark warning came from Tampa Mayor Jane Castor , who told residents: "If you choose to stay … you are going to die.”
This all comes as many in the south are still reeling from the destructive Hurricane Helene, which made landfall less than two weeks ago.
Waterford resident Benny Hunt, who started "Operation Asheville Drop," is collecting donations before he heads to hard-hit North Carolina with a giant trailer on Friday.
"We are focused, our main focus, is getting essential resources to people: socks, toothbrushes, toothpaste, food, water clothing...female products, underwear, diapers, baby formula, baby food, baby bottles," Hunt told WWJ.
Donations are being accepted at Johnny Black's Public House, at 5171 Dixie Hwy in Waterford Twp., as well at Hunt's own home.
This is a personal effort for Hunt, who understands what it's like to lose everything.
"I watched as Hurricane Katrina destroyed my home, took my animals, took my entire life," he said. "I will never go back."
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