'There's still time to get out': Canadian expats flee as major hurricane bears down on Tampa
A Canadian couple living in the Tampa area had a gut-wrenching decision to make this week: Stay and face a looming hurricane or flee north, hoping their home would still be there when they returned.
Paul and Stacey Vautour, originally from Canada, moved to Florida seven years ago.
Now, they find themselves part of the mass exodus as Hurricane Milton barrels toward the state.
“When they’re this severe, you really just can’t stay,” said Paul.
- Live updates on Hurricane Milton for Wednesday, Oct. 9
- IN PICTURES: Florida bracing for Hurricane Milton
U.S. forecasters are warning of destructive waves, devastating winds and flash flooding as Hurricane Milton makes its way from the Yucatan Peninsula toward Florida.
Initially expected to hit the west coast as a Category 3 storm, Milton is now a Category 5, with wind speeds reaching 270 km/h.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center called it “an extremely life-threatening situation” Tuesday, with the storm about 775 kilometres southwest of Tampa.
Speaking with CTV News Windsor, Stacey said the couple was going to hunker down at home, until a friend who worked for the county issued a stern warning.
“I told Paul, I think we have to go,” she said.
“We just have to go.”
The couple said their neighbourhood hadn’t even had time to recover from Helene – which blew through the state last week.
“We’re in the middle of cleaning that up and now, all that debris is outside,” Stacey said.
“[Nearby residents] had four to six feet of water in their homes,” added Paul, “And this one’s supposed to be twice that.”
The Vautours left home Monday, leaving all their belongings behind to wait out the storm in Atlanta.
“What am I going to do, drag my couch?” Stacey said.
“It’s hard leaving everything behind, but at least we’re safe.”
They said more than two days before the storm was even set to hit, the freeways were jammed.
“There’s only one way out and it’s up,” Paul said.
“Everyone’s on the same roads trying to do the same thing. It’s a lot.”
Despite the frenzy, Paul remarked on a sense of community among evacuees.
“We’re all in this together,” he said.
“Everybody’s about to get their behinds handed to them all at once.”
The U.S. National Hurricane Center expects Milton to reach Florida’s west coast Wednesday night, bringing winds of up to 270 km/h and life-threatening storm surges.
As the Vautours wait out the storm in Atlanta, they remain hopeful they’ll have something to return to.
“We’re going to pack up the next day and head back home to see what’s left,” Stacey said, acknowledging the uncertainty that lies ahead.
She fears for those who chose to stay and is praying for them.
“There’s still time to get out for those who haven’t left yet,” said Stacey.
“It’s not too late.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Live election results: Trump claims victory in U.S. presidential election
In a speech to his supporters, Donald Trump claimed victory in the U.S. election, although a declaration has not yet been made by the Associated Press nor major news networks besides Fox News as of early Wednesday morning.
Trump claims victory after Fox News projects he has won U.S. presidency
Republican Donald Trump claimed victory in the 2024 presidential contest after Fox News projected that he had defeated Democrat Kamala Harris, which would cap a stunning political comeback four years after he left the White House.
Early election takeaways: Trump weakens Democrats' coalition
The 2024 presidential election already has exposed the depths of a fractured nation as the candidates navigated political shifts based on class, race and age under the near-constant threat of misinformation and violence.
'Ready for both': Canadians prepare for any outcome as Trump takes key states
Americans anxiously watched as the results of Tuesday's election rolled in, revealing a deeply divided United States as a handful of critical battleground states were still being counted late into the night.
Democrat Sarah McBride of Delaware to become first openly transgender person to serve in Congress
Delaware state Sen. Sarah McBride has been elected to the U.S. House and will become the first openly transgender person to serve in Congress.
B.C. parents sue Irish nanny for quitting on short notice
Two parents filed a lawsuit in B.C. Supreme Court last week seeking damages from their former nanny, alleging she quit on short notice and "never said goodbye to the children."
Blues forward leaves rink on stretcher after being struck in neck by puck
St. Louis Blues forward Dylan Holloway left Tuesday night's contest against the Tampa Bay Lightning and departed the rink on a stretcher after being struck by a puck late in the first period.
Lamborghini driver who crashed into parked cars while trying to pass streetcar sentenced to prison
A mortgage broker who totalled his Lamborghini and left a passenger with life-altering injuries after trying to pass a Toronto streetcar at nearly three times the speed limit has been handed a two-and-a-half year prison sentence.
Ben Affleck had this to say about his ex, Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck may be going through a divorce, but it sounds like things are amicable.