PORT CHARLOTTE — As Hurricane Milton edges closer to landfall, thousands in the region are boarding up their windows or evacuating to shelters.
Don McBride, known as “Cowboy,” a local homeless man, is not one of those people.
That’s because he does not have a house to secure, and the haul to a shelter is too far.
On Tuesday, McBride was fashioning a hurricane-proof shelter out of a Dumpster enclosure.
He received permission from staff at a gas station near Murdock Circle to get to work so he can take refuge. He is close friends with its workers — and has been for years.
McBride conferred with them about whether or not he had enough building materials. They think he does.
He will use tarp, parachute rope and pallets to fashion a temporary living arrangement. The tarp will shield him from the pouring rain; high-strength rope should hold everything together; the pallets should help him to keep his belongings off the ground.
McBride said he does not want to lose all of his items to the elements, hence his decision to not go to a shelter. There’s no way he could fit everything on his bicycle for the ride.