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SLEEPING IN THE STAIRWELL: People decide to hunker down instead of evacuate

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Mandatory evacuations are now in place ahead of Hurricane Milton. Many who live in Downtown Fort Myers say they're willing to wait out the storm in their stairwell instead of leaving.

Jenna Satterfield lives in Royal Palm Towers.

"This building has been through hurricanes since 1970 it ain’t going no where," she said.

It's been through storms like Irma, Charlie, and Ian. Jenna has too.

"It’s one unit, it’s one solid piece of concrete," she said.

She's on the 4th floor and believes the building is sturdy enough to handle Hurricane Milton. She's not evacuating despite mandatory orders.

SLEEPING IN THE STAIRWELL: People decide to hunker down instead of evacuate

Mayor Kevin Anderson says he wishes people would leave before noon on Tuesday, as conditions are expected to worsen afterward.

"This one [storm] concerns me and I hope it concerns our residents to the point where they make the right decisions," he said."

Even though Jenna is just a few hundred feet from the Caloosahatchee, she and others in her building who spoke with FOX 4 say they feel safe.

"I'm concerned about it but I’m not to the point where I’m nervous and skittish like a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs," she said.

If you are interested in evacuation and need transportation help click here.

If you are looking for a shelter look here: https://www.leegov.com/publicsafety/emergencymanagement/shelters/publicshelters