With Hurricane Milton expected to soon make landfall, Florida residents are seeking refuge in other states across the country, including Pennsylvania.
Tampa International Airport closed Tuesday morning and some Florida evacuees who were on the last flight arrived at Philadelphia International Airport. Many of those people were already recovering from Hurricane Helene, which slammed Florida less than two weeks ago.
“The devastation was terrible,” Heather Fotopoulos, an Allentown resident who just returned home from a vacation in Florida, told NBC10. “The best way I could describe it when my family was asking, it was like a blizzard, but only with sand.”
Hurricane Milton
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Fotopoulos said her family vacation in Florida was delayed because of Helene and now cut short because of Milton. Her family is fortunate enough to call Pennsylvania home. Dave Hill, a Tampa resident who arrived in Philadelphia on Tuesday, wasn’t so lucky.
“It’s almost like a war zone,” Hill said. “I mean, you drive down the street and everyone’s personal belongings are stacked in the front yard.”
Hurricane Helene already destroyed Hill’s duplex on the beach. He evacuated to Philadelphia where his daughter lives and he’s unsure what he'll return to after Milton.
“People were exhausted,” Hill said. “So now we’re looking forward or looking at this coming out. Another one coming at us again. It’s a little scary.”
Lisa Thompson, another Tampa resident, is in a similar situation. She brought her family to Philadelphia for refuge after losing everything to Helene.
“You can’t imagine,” Thompson said. “There’s no imagining the horror that these people have been through. They have nothing left of their house.”
Thompson said she and her family are grateful to have caught the last flight out of Tampa. But they’re wondering if they’ll have a home to return to after Milton.
“People had to be rescued by boats,” Thompson said. “They were climbing out their windows. And when I tell you there’s nothing left, there’s nothing left. We don’t know how good we have it here.”
