Bahamians Evacuate, Others Stay in Path of Storm

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FLORIDA, U.S.A. – As Hurricane Milton heads toward the Sunshine State, Floridians are feeling the urgency of the approaching storm. Since Sunday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center says it “explosively” morphed into a monster storm. Over half a million people were ordered to evacuate in what’s being declared the largest state evacuation since 2017.

Bahamian Cyle Wilson, a Tampa resident, took heed of those warnings and made his way back to The Bahamas.

Cyle Hepburn – Bahamian Living in Tampa
“I’m in Exuma right now. We evacuated. My wife, she had other plans to go to Arkansas to visit her family, so she’s in for a lot of day right now. But from what I’m hearing, you know, from the mayor and from the other people that are there, that all the residents, you know, in the evacuation zones must evacuate immediately because, you know, there are a lot of deaths that could be potentially forecasted.”

A Change of Heart After Hurricane Helene

I spoke to Wilson nearly two weeks ago during the passing of Hurricane Helene when he and his family decided to stay in Tampa. This time, he says, given the severity of the storm, he just wasn’t willing to risk it.

Cyle Hepburn – Bahamian Living in Tampa
“I don’t take hurricanes lightly, right? So I’ve known people that haven’t, that did not survive the hurricanes. And I, and Tampa hasn’t experienced a hurricane I’ve heard since the 1920s, which devastated Tampa. So Tampa residents don’t even know the severity because they haven’t yet experienced it.”

Staying Put in Tampa

Meanwhile, Bahamian Tyrone Davis and his family say they’re going to bunker down and ride out the storm at their home in Tampa.

Tyrone Davis – Bahamian Living in Tampa
“Since we are like, at least 30 to 35 miles inland, um, there’s no evacuation order. We, in our area, we kind of sit above ground. So we’re kind of elevated. Um, so we’re not making any preparations yet to evacuate. No one has said anything that we do need to evacuate.”

However, Davis is confident that all will be well.

Tyrone Davis – Bahamian Living in Tampa
“I spent the day yesterday to board up my house. Um, I bought this house three years ago, and it comes with hurricane shutters. So I spent the day doing that on both levels. And it’s built pretty strong. It’s got blocks from top to bottom and it’s got rebars and concrete. So we’re thinking we’re just going to ride it out, but if information changes, we’ll adjust accordingly.”

For now, those who remain in the path of the storm can only prepare for the worst and hope for the best.