Residents on Florida's west coast head to South Florida to evade Hurricane Milton's wrath
FORT LAUDERDALE: Thousands of people on Florida's west coast are leaving, paying attention to the warnings about the storm surge and the potential impact of approaching Hurricane Milton.
Interstate 75, which leads out of the west coast, has been packed with cars since the weekend.
Many evacuees are heading southeast South Florida to escape the storm.
Alligator Alley into Broward County also has heavy traffic.
"You run out of your house with your life and pray your house is there when you come back," Helen Picciano said.
Picciano and her best friend Stacy Sullivan left Charlotte County on Monday. At first they headed north on I-75 but because of the congestion around Sarasota decided to turn around and head east to Fort Lauderdale
Picciano, who just repaired her house from the devastation of Hurricane Ian two years ago, did what she could to prevent her home from being flooded
She headed to Home Depot, which was swarmed with people searching for the same thing: sand bags
"There there were no sand bags so I got clay bags," she said.
A friend helped her secure six windows.
Stacy Sullivan's house was still getting repaired from Ian and flooded during hurricane Helene two weeks ago .
"I didn't have time to pack my tubs," she said. " So now they are sitting in the street ready to get washed away."
Phones are ringing off the hook at Hotels, like the Atlantic on Fort Lauderdale beach.
Group sales manager Latoya Valentine-Singleton said they are offering a good neighbor discount for evacuees.
She has heard the desperation of people looking for shelter from the storm.
"Yes because it's scary," she said "They want to get out and taking anything we have."
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody is extending the state's Price Gouging Hotline to protect residents in areas under emergency declarations.