PINE ISLAND/MATLACHA, Fla — With Milton closing in, people on Pine Island and Matlacha are bracing for another storm just a week after Hurricane Helene swept through.
Cars crawled off the island Sunday, passing piles of debris still left over from last week’s storm. Virginia Neff lives on Pine Island - she said she lost her home during Hurricane Ian, so she’s packing up to evacuate.
Watch Community Correspondent Austin Schargorodski's report here...
“Just got ourselves new houses, back into our houses, and now this is hitting,” said Neff.
Others lined up at the gas pumps to fill cars and cans, determined to not be caught off guard.
“I’m getting a little tired of it. I was thinking of moving to the Carolinas, but after everything that just happened up there, I don’t know where to go,” said Jay Coughlin, while pumping gas.
Coughlin said he spent his Sunday making sure his family is ready. “I’ve already boarded up my mom’s house, boarded up my kids house, and now working on my house,” said Coughlin.
After what this area has gone through with recent hurricanes, everyone Fox 4 talked with said they’re not taking any chancers with this storm.
“Right now I’ve got sandbags, going to tape up the doors, and do whatever I can so hopefully this time not get flooded again,” said Coughlin. “I just hope people have a plan and they follow their plan,” Neff added.
