London, Ont., snowbirds worry from afar as Hurricane Milton barrels toward Florida homes and neighbours
Storm set to make landfall as a 'dangerous major hurricane' late Wednesday
As Florida's Gulf Coast braces for the arrival of Hurricane Milton, London, Ont., snowbirds who call the Sunshine State home for months of the year say they're concerned about the safety of friends and neighbours, and the significant damage that could come from the monster storm.
Millions of people in Florida have been told to evacuate ahead of Milton's expected landfall, considered a dangerous Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson scale as of Wednesday morning. Even if it weakens when it makes landfall in western Florida, it is expected to remain a major hurricane, which is classified as a Category 3 or higher and means it has sustained winds of at least 178 km/h.
Dorothy Chabot, a London resident whose cabin at Village of La Casa Del Sol, a 55-plus community southwest of Orlando, is in the middle of Milton's projected track.
"We are watching the news and the weather every chance we can get to see what's happening. My first concern is for my friends that are down there, and my second concern is the damage that could happen," said Chabot from her home in London.
The storm is expected to hit near the Tampa Bay metropolitan area early Thursday morning. The city hasn't taken a direct hit from a hurricane since 1921.
Chabot's snowbird community, located in the middle of the state in Davenport along U.S. Highway 27, has roughly 300 cottages that residents rent for eight-month periods.
She and her husband have rented one for two years and had planned to travel there early next month. Roughly 40 permanent residents are there now, she said, describing the community as "picturesque."
Several women have rented a sturdier townhouse down the road where they will shelter in place, while others are riding out the storm with family in Orlando, Chabot said.
"My friends have gone to the local grocery stores... and there's nothing on the shelves. (People have) prepared themselves for water, for necessities, because they don't know when everything's going to come back," she said.
"Maybe they'll be very lucky, and they won't even have any devastation. I'm hoping that happens."
Forecasts Tuesday afternoon from the National Hurricane Center said Milton could bring life-threatening winds inland across the peninsula, along with heavy rainfall of between six and 12 inches in central Florida.
"This rainfall brings the risk of catastrophic and life-threatening flash and urban flooding, along with moderate to major river flooding," read a rainfall advisory Tuesday.
Storm surges of three to 4.5 metres are also forecast along a stretch of coastline near Tampa Bay.
Milton's arrival comes less than two weeks after Helene, a Category 4 hurricane, battered parts of Florida and five other states, leaving more than 200 dead and causing billions of dollars in damage.
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Brenda Ackerman, another London snowbird, has owned property in the Fort Myers area for roughly 12 years and was set to head south this Sunday for Thanksgiving.
The city of nearly 100,000 is at the southern edge of Milton's projected path, but could still see storm surge of 2.4 to 3.6 metres, possible flash flooding, and strong winds.
"They've evacuated portions of Lee County, which is where my property is," Ackerman said.
"I've got friends down there, and (I'm) keeping in touch with them. Hurricane shutters are being put up if they weren't already. They're just hunkering down, unless they've left already."
Two years ago, the Fort Myers area was devastated by Hurricane Ian, a Category 4 storm and the third costliest hurricane on record.
Ackerman said her property suffered minor damage, but nearby Fort Myers Beach saw long-lasting, severe damage from intense winds and a three to 4.5 metre storm surge.
Milton "is the worst that I've encountered since I've had property there. There's something very unusual about this one that's getting more attention than they usually do."
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