Look Out, Dad!!

My father is the purple dot above the blue weather station. He's juuust outside Milton's evacuation zone.

Well!

My brother and I just sat through Helene with our dad in Florida. We didn't plan our trip that way - we had booked it months in advance as our mother passed away in February. We wanted to go back to check up on the old guy. So Dad got to direct us to all the restaurants in the Tampa Bay Area he wanted to visit. I mean, what else do you do before a hurricane if you already have batteries? And have food portions tripled since I have stopped going out to eat? I think so. I also got to ride around town in a golf cart to visit his high school buddy and his wife who have retired nearby.

Helene was devastating in some areas of Florida and Georgia, but it was nothing much in the particular area of Tampa where my dad lives. The airport was closed and some of the bridges were closed for a bit. We weren't sure if I would be able to catch my flight back to Missouri, or if my flight would even exist. But nothing life-threatening was going on where we were. 

This time it's a little worrying - hopefully Milton doesn't hit my father too badly, but he is hunkered down and hoping for the best. When you think about it, where would he go? Pretty much anywhere you go, everyone is already there OR it is already wiped out and devastated. Going north is going to be crowded and congested and the highways will be full. There is already so much devastation and wreckage north. Go south, and who says Milton won't come and cause hurricane damage there anyway? 

My brother tried to convince him just to jump on one of the last planes, just go to Alaska or whatever random flight is available and see what happens! Dad is going to stay put and see what happens. I'll keep ya posted, hopefully I will hear from him that everything was not a big deal just like last time.