Kentuckians in Florida brace for impact of Hurricane Milton

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT)—As many Floridians brace for Hurricane Milton’s impact in the coming days, many are attempting to evacuate the state.

However, some native Kentuckians who now reside in Florida or are on vacation in the area are planning on staying put and weathering the storm.

For both Sarah Richardson from Richmond and Emily Bays from Barbourville their families have been planning a trip to Disney for their kids for a long time.

Bays shared that for her, “You wouldn’t even know. I mean, like everyone is so calm, it’s like it’s not even happening.”

Both families are on their fall break, and while they are still hoping for a magical time, Hurricane Milton has a different plan for their vacations.

“Actually, the last time we were at Disney was in 2018, and there was a hurricane too! We come during Hurricane season, I guess,” Bays said.

Richardson detailed that for her family, “We were coming in, and it was backed up going north. I mean, there was so many people going north and not as many people going south towards Florida.”

Hurricane Milton is projected to drop heavy rounds of rain as well as produce devastating winds for much of central Florida and while many are evacuating, both families on staying, saying they feel safe in the parks.

Bays explained, “A lot of our friends and family are like, ‘Are you insane? You need to get home!’ But I don’t know I think we will be alright, we aren’t too worried. I think we are safer here than on the interstate.”

Richardson agrees, “I do feel safer here. I have heard Disney is really good about taking care of their guests if they are on the property while there is a hurricane going on.”

With many in the state in mandatory evacuations, for Emily and Sarah say there almost isn’t a choice due to excessive traffic on the interstate and gas shortages.

“We were really anxious last night. We realized we were low on gas, and so we went to the gas station to get some gas. We had to go to six or seven gas stations before we could find any with some gas, and even then, they were completely out of regular. We had to get premium gas,” Richardson said.

“Traveling with three kids and with one just turning a year old, I can’t imagine getting stuck on the interstate with them because from what we have seen, it’s like back-to-back,” Bays said.

Both families are planning on returning this upcoming weekend.

Sarah and Emily aren’t the only Kentuckians currently prepping for the hurricane in the sunshine state -

Dana Fritz believes that for Florida, “Hurricane Helene was a warning; this one, the gravity of it is a lot stronger.”

As of Tuesday afternoon, around 14 counties in the state are under some sort of evacuation order, and Fritz “This time, there is no joking about it. Everyone is solemn.”

Two native Kentuckians, Dana Fritz and Angie Roworth, have made the decision to hunker down and stay through the storm.

“I feel safe here in our home, also because we were tracking where it’s supposed to hit,” Roworth said.

Roworth is originally from London, Kentucky and now resides in the Tampa Bay area, where mandatory evacuations have been put in place.

“It’s hard to leave your home not knowing what it’s going to be like when you come back,” Roworth said. “It sounds simple. People think you just hop in the car and say, ‘OK, goodbye,’ and I used to think that too when I would hear it living in Kentucky and say, ‘Everybody should just leave their home,’ but it’s a very difficult decision to make.”

For many choosing to stay, like Roworth as well as Lexington native Fritz, its about fully being prepared.

“We are preparing for the heavy winds. My house, I have 20 sandbags, four quick dams and the window have been shuttered, “Fritz said. “Traffic was terrible, even on the little road we traveled on, the interstate has a lot of traffic – and even the hotels further in are starting to fill up with people evacuating.”

For folks like Angie and Dana, with gas shortages, traffic and limited hotel access, they say they feel safer staying put in their homes for now.

“I feel pretty safe that could be famous last words, I don’t know,” Roworth said.

“I have never seen people being this worried, anxious, the tensions being so high,” Fritz said., ” At this point, If you were to have evacuated two days ago or even left yesterday, I think it would have been fine, but at this point, I would not risk being stuck on the interstate.”

Dana and Angie both told WKYT that they have gathered plenty of food, water and other essentials to weather the storm and we will keep up to date with all of our Kentucky family that is bracing for the impacts of Hurricane Milton in the coming days.

Continuing Coverage

Originally from Pike County, Kentucky, Melissa Ratliff now works for our sister station, WWSB, an ABC affiliate in Sarasota, Florida.

She says some parts of her coverage area - particularly the barrier islands - are still reeling from the hit Helene delivered.

“There’s still piles of debris in the roadways and people are working to clean them up, and they just had to tell everyone ‘No more stuff to the dumps,’” said Ratliff, who manages digital content for the station.

Ratliff is being sent inland and other crews are being evacuated altogether as they prepare for another major hurricane in Milton.

“We know it’s coming, the only way out is through,” Ratliff.

But she says their communities along the ‘Sun Coast’ of SW Florida are resilient and will get through it together.

“The way that people gather around each other here and help each other - it reminds me so much of home, and I’m grateful for that,” said Ratliff.

Some 80 miles inland from Sarasota, a Berea family are experiencing that even before landfall.

Lori Brandenburg and her family set off on a trip to Lake Okeechobee last week, and they have ended up needing to stay and ride out the storm.

“This was mostly just a fishing trip, and maybe make a trip to one of the beaches, but we quickly realized that wasn’t going to happen,” said Brandenburg. “It’s either go sit on the freeway and take that risk and that chance, or let God protect us where we are.”

They couldn’t find any hotels with vacancy heading north and say gas stations are running out of fuel. But a local church in the Buckhead Ridge community has opened its doors for them to shelter through the hurricane.

“We really appreciate it, it’s a blessing,” said Lori’s stepfather, David.

While their region still needs prayers, they can feel the commonwealth’s kindness hundreds of miles away.