Florida evacuees Pauline and Edward Rasmussen spent Wednesday night at a shelter in Macon, where they kept an eye on televised weather reports as Hurricane Milton pummeled their home state.
They were still unsure Thursday morning if they should load up their red Toyota Prius and venture to their central Florida home to, as Edward, 77, put it, “see if our house is still in one piece.”
The threat of the hurricane drove thousands of Floridians to evacuate this week before Milton’s destruction was unleashed across the Sunshine State.
Even with the storm mostly moved offshore into the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday, Florida officials said those who left should still wait to begin the journey home.
Milton, which crashed into the west coast of Florida as a Category 3 hurricane, brought record rainfall, storm surge as high as 10 feet, several tornadoes and sustained winds up to 120 mph at landfall. The storm was quickly downgraded to Category 1 strength as it crossed the state Wednesday night.
Kevin Guthrie, the executive director of Florida’s emergency management division, urged evacuees to check with local officials before returning to assess the damage to their homes and property, since some areas might not be safe.
“I know a lot of people evacuated, and we appreciate that. Do not be in a hurry,” Guthrie said in an official broadcast on social media Thursday morning.
But at one of the busiest American Red Cross shelters, located in Cordele, most of the 70 people who stayed the night had already headed south by Thursday morning. Ten Red Cross evacuation centers were still open Thursday for Milton evacuees, according to spokesperson Steve Walsh, though that number could shrink as more people depart.
Many evacuees camped at Atlanta Motor Speedway, which opened its 850-acre site for free. General Manager Brandon Hutchison said on the AJC’s Politically Georgia podcast that this was the largest showing of evacuees the speedway has had since Hurricane Irma in 2017. About 50 families sought shelter there during Milton, he said.
Credit: John Spink
Credit: John Spink
“There’s all kinds of stories in the campgrounds right now, but the best ones are that they were safe, they were smart, and they came to Atlanta Motor Speedway to seek a little shelter for a few days,” Hutchison said. “It’s easy for us to do. We have the space.”
Some have begun to leave the speedway, but most will likely stay until Friday before venturing home, he said.
“A question I get a lot is, ‘How long are y’all going to stay open?’” Hutchison said. “It’s a real easy answer for me: I’ll stay open as long as there’s a need.”
At least five people died in Florida due to tornadoes before the hurricane made landfall. Search and rescue efforts began overnight, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis posted on social media. Officials will be assessing the damage over the next few days. So far, an estimated 3 million households are without power, according to the governor.
Those heading home may find damage from flooding and winds. Florida state inspectors have begun evaluating roads and bridges to ensure they are safe enough to reopen, DeSantis said. Residents should be cautious in areas with downed power lines and high water.
“We have post-storm fatalities almost every storm, and a lot of these fatalities are avoidable,” DeSantis said.
“Watch out for downed power lines and damaged buildings. Avoid floodwaters as they can hide a variety of dangers, and never drive through them, as it doesn’t take much to sweep your car away,” the National Weather Service warned on social media.
Edward Rasmussen received word from a neighbor that his house appeared to have emerged from the storm unscathed. Still, he wasn’t sure when he, his wife and their poodle, Minnie, would head south.
”I can’t tell my wife to go home yet,” he said. “But I already dropped the hint that we should probably go see if there’s any damage. She says, ‘We’ll see.’”
