Westport Woman Recalls the Evacuation and Fury of Hurricane Milton in Florida

Westport native Faith Bennivedse recently moved to Tampa, Florida and found herself caught in the chaos of her first hurricane season in the Sunshine State.

As Hurricane Milton bore down on the region, Bennivedse shared her behind-the-scenes story from St. Petersburg, offering insight into what it’s like for a new Floridian to face the power of nature head-on.

"I Didn't Take It Seriously at First"

When Bennivedse first heard the evacuation orders for Hurricane Milton, she admitted she didn’t take them seriously right away. Living in Evacuation Zone A, she had faced Hurricane Helene a few weeks prior, with minimal personal impact.

But this time was different.

“Once I heard all the Floridians were evacuating, I knew it was serious,” she said. “Everyone had a very bad feeling about this one.”

From Excitement to Dread

As a Massachusetts transplant, Bennivedse was initially eager for the experience of living through a hurricane. However, after seeing the damage Helene left behind – flooded homes, lost cars and a waterfront restaurant where she works being closed for a week – she approached Milton with much more caution.

“We were not happy hearing about Hurricane Milton. St. Petersburg could not afford another hurricane like the last," she said.

The Chaos of Evacuating

Bennivedse and her friends decided to evacuate to Spring Hill, an hour north of their home. What should have been a quick drive turned into a grueling 3.5-hour journey.

“The evacuation process was insane,” she said, describing the bumper-to-bumper traffic and the scramble for gasoline, which had completely run out by Monday night (October 7). Some of her friends even evacuated to Georgia, taking 19 hours to make the trip.

Gasoline Shortages Add to the Strain

One of the most shocking aspects for Bennivedse was the gasoline shortage.

“Between people filling their tanks to evacuate and stocking up for generators, there was no gas left,” she recalled.

Even after the storm passed, she and her friends had to search eight different gas stations before finding fuel for their generator.

A Storm Unlike Any Other

Although not the direct hit they feared, Milton still left a lasting impression on Bennivedse.

“This is definitely the worst storm I have ever experienced,” she said, comparing it to the blizzards of her Massachusetts childhood.

The most unnerving part for her was the uncertainty.

“The worst part of hurricane preparation was the unknowingness of what was about to come," she said. "We were already hit bad two weeks ago, so we were not prepared for another.”

Worried About Returning Home

As the storm approached, Bennevidse feared she might not have a home to go back to. She had moved valuables out of her house and prepared for potential flooding, but her greater concern was her job.

“If I was left without a job, I wouldn’t be able to afford a new home," she said.

Fortunately, St. Petersburg escaped the worst, and both her home and workplace were spared.

"Back home (St. Petersburg) is out of power and water as a whole, but we are all thankful to be in the position we are in," Bennivedse said. "We expected the worst and prepared for the worst."

Bennivedse summed up her experience of the 2024 hurricane season with a phrase that captures the chaos: “It all felt like a movie.”