SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – As Hurricane Milton makes its way toward Florida’s west coast, some in the Tampa area are evacuating, but one native South Dakotan is choosing to stay.
CC Graham, from Madison, is in her final semester at the University of Tampa and will be riding out the storm in her home with her roommate.
“It’s a little stressful, you know. Obviously, I’m a little worried and I’m a little frightened, but like a storm is a storm,” she said.
The Tampa Bay area, which is expected to take a direct hit from Milton, has been forecast to experience storm surge of up to 15 feet. The storm is expected to hit Wednesday night.
Graham lives in Evacuation Zone E, while zones A and B were the ones with mandatory evacuations as of late Wednesday afternoon.
“My house is like, I think we’re 40 feet above sea level, which in Florida is really saying something because most people live below sea level,” Graham said. “I’m not in the floodplain, so I’m not a super high priority when they’re looking to evacuate people.”
She’s been able to stockpile water, nonperishable food items, candles, flashlights and other things to prepare for the power outage. Although Graham has managed to stay level-headed and calm about the situation, she’s still aware of how dangerous the storm could get in her area.
“I am a little stressed and I am a little frightened,” she admitted. “… Just because we’re not in the floodplain, doesn’t mean we’re not gonna flood, you know. So, there are anxieties within me. What if there is flooding or what if a tree falls on our house or something like that?”
However, she and her roommate– along with a temporary cat from a friend– are ready for the days ahead in their West Tampa home.
“I’m also very much of the opinion that storms are a part of life,” Graham said. “You stay calm, you find a safe place, you make plans and then you just sit there and wait it out. So that’s what I’m doing.”
Graham has lived in Tampa since 2021 and has been through a few hurricanes since then. In 2022, she evacuated during Hurricane Ian to Orlando. But, when the storm shifted, missing Tampa and hitting Orlando, Graham was stuck in a stranger’s house for eight days with no supplies.”
“So I was like, man, if this ever happens again, I’m gonna stay in a place that I know I have my supplies, I know I’m comfortable in,” she said. “Even if it’s coming right towards me, I’d much rather be in my own home, you know.”
