Former Chicago couple moves to Florida just in time for harrowing experience of Hurricane Ian
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Eleven people have been confirmed dead after Hurricane Ian ravaged Florida, and President Joe Biden is warning that it could be the deadliest hurricane in that state's history.
Late Thursday, rescuers continued to search for survivors amid historic flooding – which swamped a hospital near Fort Myers. Workers were forced more patients to safety.
More than 2 million customers were without power in Florida Thursday night, and authorities were warning it could be days or even weeks before the power is back on.
The storm came ashore as a Category 4 – one of the strongest ever to hit the U.S. Ian demolished the only road to Sanibel Island.
So many people who had been evacuated from their homes were unsure what would be there when they returned. Among the thousands concerned was a former Chicago couple who spoke to CBS 2's Jermont Terry Thursday night.
Terry caught up with the husband and wife – who had just settled into their new home, only to leave days later.
When Hurricane Ian barreled toward Florida with those 150 mph winds, suffice it to say Lynn Hudson-Brown had some worries.
"Scared," Hudson-Brown said. "I was more scared for the home than for us, per se, because we had gotten out of there."
Hudson-Brown and her husband moved from Chicago to Tampa a week ago.
"We had welcome committee called Ian - Hurricane Ian," she said.
Ian's path originally placed Tampa in the direct line of fire of the hurricane – yet the couple still had items getting shipped from Chicago.
"Our last pod hadn't arrived yet," Hudson-Brown said, "and it had like our generator, and a lot of things you need to survive a hurricane."
So Hudson-Brown and her husband decided to heed the warning. They evacuated Tuesday, jumping on the road south to Fort Lauderdale.
They passed through Fort Myers, where the storm would later hit hard. Hudson-Brown snapped some pictures of the dark clouds.
"Traffic started backing up in the Fort Myers area, and I said, 'Oh Lord, don't let us get stuck here,'" she said. "It just was a dark sky."
Ian destroyed homes, turned streets into rivers, and wiped away some coastal neighborhoods. Hudson-Brown was worried about what her neighborhood would look like.
"I was like, 'Lord, don't let our whole block be flooded with water,'" she said.
And now, the Chicagoan-turned-Floridan has survived a record hurricane.
"What a way to welcome us to Florida," she said. "But hey, I still wouldn't trade it for the winters again."
Hudson-Brown and her husband plan to drive back to Tampa on Friday. They decided to wait an extra day to give crews enough time to clear the roads.
Right now, it is believed their home was not damaged. Yet looking at the devastation around them, Hudson-Brown said she was blessed.