'It is exhausting': Former Sask. residents experience Hurricane Ian in Florida
Some former Saskatchewan residents experienced hurricane conditions for the first time in Florida this week.
In western Florida, Hurricane Ian made landfall Wednesday as a category four storm, with winds hitting a monstrous 241 km/h. It was the fifth strongest hurricane in United States history.
Mark Taylor moved to Tampa Bay, Fla. from Regina in 2021 and experienced his first hurricane this week. He, his wife, two sons and dog were set to move into their new house on Thursday, but the incoming storm forced them to move all their belongings into the house and immediately evacuate to Orlando.
“I’ve got Taylor family photos going back a hundred years,” said Taylor. “Then we just turned our backs on the door and hit the road. We haven’t even spent a night in our house.”
Taylor described the drive from Tampa Bay to Orlando as apocalyptic.
“We saw people boarding up their houses and sandbagging their homes,” he said. “Going to Orlando was bumper to bumper for three hours and the other road, going into Tampa, was empty.”
South of Orlando in Poinciana, Fla., Rusty Watson also experienced her first hurricane since moving to the state from Saskatchewan three years ago. Her friends gave her tips on how to be prepared for the situation.
“The basic thing was keep a full tank of gas, don’t go out if you don’t have to and if they tell you to stay home: stay home,” said Watson. “But if they tell you to leave, leave.”
Watson said Florida is a beautiful place to visit in the winter and she missed Saskatchewan dearly but would take a winter whiteout over a hurricane.
“I would take a 40-below and the storms over this any day,” she said. “It is exhausting, the stress and constantly being on edge.”
For Taylor, he said his family was extremely lucky. Their new home seems to have minimal-to-no damage and they cannot wait to spend their first night there soon.
“I am now a believer in hurricanes and what you need to do to be prepared,” he said. “It’s serious stuff. You’re going up against an ocean.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Amish youth experience a rite of passage called Rumspringa. It’s not what you might think
The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away from strict Amish rules, when teenagers can experiment with the modern vices of the world.
Djokovic needs medical attention after getting knocked on the head by a water bottle at Italian Open
Novak Djokovic needed medical attention after apparently getting knocked on the head by a water bottle after a win at the Italian Open on Friday.