They have not been officially evacuated, and they said they are not leaving. I'm very concerned for them. Even though they are Trumpers now. *sigh*. What a world. I still Love her. Known her for 35 years now. We have grown apart over politics. But Love is Love.

sad....

I would imagine the roads are packed by now....

The whole state is in the path.

I've invited him to make the road trip to metro ATL, though.

pretty hard by Helene, I don't know about S. Carolina, I imagine that they too, got hit w/ a lot of rain and stuff too.

And more is coming too, perhaps they'll veer away from the southern coast, and stay in the Atlantic Ocean, not hit land.

I just can’t deal with it, and I’m MN. All I can do is send money.

Good grief, these things are popping up right and left this year, hopefully it won't be a trend of the future. I am hoping for the best for all in FL.

We have a stalled front that will steer Milton more east than north. Western NC should be avoided. East of I-77 should be ok. The I-85 and I-95 corridors.

It's safe to evacuate to the inland area of the Triangle: Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill and surrounding areas, which were not much affected.

especially when you never have been in one. I've been in lots of tornadoes (midwest, plains) but not any hurricanes. One of my best friends lives in Tampa, so I am hoping for the best for all down there...hopefully at this time of year, there isn't too much traffic or such yet (snowbirds), and just mostly residents fleeing inland or further north, other points safer than Tampa perhaps.

she lives in Largo in a manufactured home. She is going to a friend's condo to ride it out.

Milton has become the strongest Gulf hurricane in almost 20 years--since Rita in 2005--and it's headed straight for her? She should be encouraged to evacuate.

she is aware and has been encouraged to evacuate. She is in her 80s. She went to the grocery store this morning and was able to fill her car with fuel (said stations were out of gas yesterday).

I can't force her. She knows. I'm on the West Coast of the US, so not like I can swing by her place and say let's go. She has enough funds to take a vacation anywhere, she just doesn't want to leave.

It's terrible. You should see the news videos of the evacuations, traffic backed up for miles. Many of their homes like the ones in western NC will be utterly destroyed. They will have nothing to go home to. Many are still recovering from Hurricane Ian which was also devastating to Florida's west coast in 2023.

The route Milton is on now will bring the center just south of where I live in St Augustine. It looks like it will be a 1 or 2 level storm which is great considering what it will be when it hits the west coast as a 5.

I just pray there are no deaths and everyone on the affected west coast finds a safe place to ride it out.

Good luck!