Some Gulf Coast Floridians are evacuating from Sarasota to Okeechobee due to Hurricane Helene .
WPTV’s Zitlali Solache spoke with Michael Veeder. He was visiting his mother in Sarasota — an area getting slammed with storm surge and strong winds from Helene.
“I was heading up towards that area, so we didn’t want to get stuck in anything worse. So here we are,” stated Veeder. “Nowadays they turn into Cat 4s real quick, so you don’t want to screw around with that.”
Region Okeechobee County
Okeechobee Co. prepares for possibility of flooding, high winds
Todd Wilson
He says his drive to an Okeechobee hotel was worth it just to escape the storm.
“If this takes a right-hand turn, no need to be there,” shares Veeder. “So, that’s why we shuffled in a bunch of miles.”
WPTVJust miles away in Okeechobee is Lourdes Gil. WPTV’s Kate Hussey spoke with Gil back in 2023 following Hurricane Ian.