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'It is exhausting': Former Sask. residents experience Hurricane Ian in Florida

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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.”

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