Floridians are not the only ones escaping Milton’s path; some Tennesseans are evacuating ahead of landfall.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Floridians aren’t the only people escaping Hurricane Milton. Some Tennesseans are rushing to leave the state before the storm makes landfall.
Maddie Reidy, her fiancé and dog have made the decision to stay at their Tampa apartment. This wasn’t a decision they took lightly as they were concerned about traffic.
“Getting on the road, trying to fight that traffic that everyone has been seeing on social media and whatnot,” Reidy said. “Also a big fear of ours was gas, refilling — we had full tanks, but that wouldn’t have gotten us where we needed to be to be completely safe.”
They are prepared with food for the week and said that they feel safe in their apartment. Their families are worried about them, but the couple has confidence that everything will be all right.
Other Tennessee families are also working to leave Florida and have mentioned the difficulty. To help those in need, Nashvillian Jennifer Hagan-Dier has opened her home. She started helping people in natural disasters after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
“I’ve worked at rescues,” Hagan-Dier said. “So now we have an 8-, almost 9-year-old and a 12-year-old and they’re used to seeing random people and animals come if they need a place to stay.”
As Hurricane Milton inches closer to Tampa, families are hoping for the best.