People came to emergency shelters at nearly the last minute
On Wednesday morning Lee County said it still had plenty of space at emergency shelters for Hurricane Milton evacuees. The county urged people to go to a shelter at once if they felt unsafe at home.
A steady line of cars and trucks pulled up to the entrance at the Hertz Arena shelter in Estero.
Nick Zimnicki was one of those nearly last-minute arrivals. He said he’s been in Florida more than 30 years, and Milton’s threat is sending him to a shelter for the first time ever.
“It’s suspense,” he said. “It’s tense, and worries, and there’s nothing we can do about it but be safe.”
Zimnicki said Hurricane Ian left four feet of water in his house just two years ago. He said this summer’s hurricanes have been too much.
“It’s suspense. It’s tense, and worries, and there’s nothing we can do about it but be safe.”
“In my heart this is going to be my last go-round,” he said.
Zimnicki explained that he’s selling his Fort Myers home and moving to a place somewhere in the Pacific Ocean.
“Where I’m going, I will have to deal with lava flows,” he said. “That would be Hawaii. Yes the Big Island, that’s where my family is at.”
The Big Island has an active volcano – Kilauea.
Carol Neely of Bonita Springs also was checking into Hertz Arena Wednesday morning.
“Yeah I’m scared,” she said. “Been scared for three days. But it’s in God’s hands. We’ll see what happens.”
Neely said she and her husband have gone to shelters during past hurricanes, and it’s just part of life.
“You hear everybody say: I’m going to move, I’m going to move,” Neely said. “But Florida is our home. We love it here. How can you beat Florida the rest of the year?”
Emergency shelters usually do not have beds or even chairs for evacuees. So people should bring bedding, blankets, chairs and snacks to shelters.
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Mike Walcher is a reporter with WGCU News. He can be reached at mwalcher@wgcu.org
WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. We are a nonprofit public service, and your support is more critical than ever. Keep public media strong and donate now. Thank you.