Irishwoman in Hurricane Milton's eye not evacuating as she says 'sky's dark, no birds - it's coming'
Florida residents in the path of the hurricane were urged to leave before 2pm today, or they are "going to die".
An Irishwoman living in the eye of Hurricane Milton in Florida said it’s currently like a “war zone” as she plans on moving from the soon-to-be devastated state.
Florida residents in the path of the hurricane were urged to leave before 2pm on Wednesday as the Mayor of Tampa told residents they’re “going to die” if they don’t evacuate. Claire Foley-O’Connor, from Sligo, has lived in the sunshine state for 51 years, but as it's set to see the worst hurricane in 100 years she plans on moving to Wisconsin.
She currently lives in Tavares, Lake County, in a one-story house in an over 55s gated community. The Sligo native lives just an hour and a half from Tampa, which is set to be the worst affected region with millions of residents being told to evacuate or they will die.
READ MORE: When will Hurricane Milton hit Florida and what path is 'storm of the century' on
READ MORE: Hurricane Milton hitting Florida leaves expert in tears as 'we knew it was coming'
Her area is not under a mandatory evacuation, and Ms Foley-O’Connor said she has decided to stay because she is on her own. She told the Irish Mirror: “I am worried, my stomach has been killing me. I haven't even been eating… the sky is dark, there are no birds, and you can’t hear anything, that’s a sign that it’s coming.
“We are going to get hit at 2pm and I’m right in the eye of it. It’s very dark and it’s starting to rain. It’s going to be a very bad night, people have been saying ‘Why don’t you go to a shelter?’ But I don’t want to go to a shelter, I want to stay in my house.”
Despite living in Florida, Ms Foley-O’Connor said she has never experienced anything like this. She added: "The [supermarkets] are closed until Friday so I went yesterday and the shelves were bare. It was like a war zone. They had no paper towels, no toilet paper, little water, you couldn’t even get gas."
Leah McDaid, from Donegal, is living in Lakeland, which is just a 40-minute drive east of Tampa. The 23-year-old is living with family friends, but they have decided to board up and hunker down rather than evacuate.
She said: “We’re not in an evacuation zone because we are more inland so we are preparing sandbags and getting food and water and charging our portable batteries. We are a little bit scared but we are going to wait it out and see how it goes.
"I’m living in a house with family friends, they are Floridians and know what to do so I’m glad that I have them. But I am a little bit scared and once they started to get worried and scared I realised it was serious.
"Our main issue is we will get the bad wind of it and also flooding is the worst part of it because we have a lake across from the house so that might come up. We are also low to the ground."
Ms McDaid has been living in the US for five years and in Florida for two. She was living in the state for Hurricane Ian, but said it was “nothing like this”.
She added: "My house did get a little bit flooded but I feel like this one is going to be a lot worse, everyone is talking about it, I have never experienced anything like this. [My family in Ireland] are praying, they are very worried because they just keep seeing TikToks and all the posts so it’s getting very bad."
The 23-year-old said it’s currently very “eerie” outside as there are no cars on the roads, adding that it “really is the calm before the storm”. She said: “Everyone in this area is here but they have their houses and windows bordered up and the sandbags are all out.
“I went into the supermarket for a few things and I couldn’t get any bread, in all the aisles everyone was going batshit crazy, and at the gas station, there was no gas left. They are all completely running out of gas, everyone is going crazy."
Taoiseach Simon Harris is currently in Washington to meet US President Joe Biden to mark the centenary of diplomatic relations between Ireland and the US. They were due to meet in the Oval Office tomorrow followed by a reception in the Rose Garden at the White House. However, the latter event has been postponed due to Hurricane Milton.
Speaking from Washington, the Taoiseach said he is conscious that there are many Irish people residing in Florida. He said: “My message for any Irish people living in Florida, or indeed in any area that may be hit by this hurricane or any Irish person visiting, is that our consulate in Miami stands ready to help and assist with any information or assistance that may be required in the hours and days ahead.
"I'm really conscious that there's a huge national effort underway here to prepare for it could be an extraordinary, significant hurricane. Obviously, our thoughts are with all those who are in the path of this hurricane."
Join the Irish Mirror’s breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive breaking news and the latest headlines direct to your phone. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Related
Share this page
Guest Posts by Easy Branches
