Trinidad-born Floridians as Hurricane Milton looms: 'Expecting the worst, praying for the best'

Trinidad-born Floridians are expecting the worst but praying for the best as Category 4 Hurricane Milton is expected to make landfall over the US state on Wednesday night.

An ABC News article on October 8 said Milton, which is now a Category 4 hurricane, is expected to hit Florida on October 9, possibly as a Category 3 (180-210 kph wind speeds).

Milton comes roughly two weeks after Hurricane Helene damaged parts of Florida.

On October 6, the Associated Press reported 230 deaths were recorded owing to Helene's impact and destruction.

On October 7, Milton strengthened from a Category 4 to a Category 5 hurricane, but had been downgraded to Category 4 again on the morning of October 8.

The US National Hurricane Center in Miami said on the evening of October 8 that Milton’s intensity had “rebounded,” though it was still a Category 4 storm.

It was about 520 miles (840 kilometres) south west of Tampa with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph (250 kph), the centre said.

Milton is expected to hit the west coast of Florida, which includes the city of Sarasota.

Sarasota was ravaged by Hurricane Helene two weeks ago.

Newsday spoke to the city manager, Trinidad-born Marlon Brown, by WhatsApp call on October 8.

Brown, originally from Diamond Vale, Diego Martin, Trinidad, has lived in the US since 1985 and has lived and worked in Florida since 1993.

He said Hurricane Helene devastated Sarasota even though it did not face the full brunt of the storm.

"Though the hurricane was offshore because of the winds, it pushed a lot of the storm surge and sea levels into the barrier islands...pushing sand and seawater, causing a lot of damage to the homes and businesses.

"There are mounds and mounds of debris from people trying to clean out their structures and putting it on the sidewalk for the city to pick up."

He said Milton was not giving Sarasota a chance to recover from Helene.

"With Milton coming upon us, it is providing a challenge to get a lot of those places clean and cleared, because it can cause more problems with the debris going into the drains and can turn into projectiles, causing more damage."

Brown does not believe the city will get the debris cleared in time for Hurricane Milton.

He said Helene had cost the city US$10 million in clean-up activity.

"The Federal Emergency Management Agency pays for the repairs for damage and we only deal with the cost for cleaning up.

"We have removed sand and debris out the way for residents and businesses.

"There's also public works, law enforcement, public utilities and solid waste are all accounted for in the US$10 million."

He fully expect the cost to be in the tens of millions when Milton passes, as he said many parts of Sarasota have not been cleared up after Helene.

He said the residents of the city are concerned and fearful about Milton after their experiences with Helene.

"Living in a state that experiences hurricanes regularly, they know it is the norm.

"However, we have never seen this type of devastation with any hurricanes in the past."

He said the hurricanes have brought the city closer, as businesses and residents are helping each other prepare for Milton.

"They are trying to see how to support each other, so everyone won't be too stressed."

Another Trinidad-born Floridian, who has lived in the state since 2000, spoke to Newsday on condition on anonymity.

She said while it had been stressful, preparation was key in those situations.

"It's just about getting your plans together and to get your house ready or to evacuate and then hope for the best."

The woman, who lives on the east coast, said the traffic on her side of the state has been "normal" but on the west coast has been backed up because of people evacuating before the storm.

Newsday also spoke to Marie-Ange Pollonais, also a resident of Tampa, by WhatsApp call on October 8.

She said she had been back and forth between Florida and TT for the last seven years after finishing college in the US.

Pollonais, whose base is in Seminole Heights, Tampa, said her community did not suffer any serious damage from Hurricane Helene, but experienced power outages and trees being uprooted.

She said the major concern was the debris left from Helene, which could become projectiles during Hurricane Milton.

"I'm very scared, because the houses up here are made very differently from back home. Any little wind and it's going to blow away."

While Pollonais spoke to Newsday, she was driving to Miami as part of her evacuation plan.

"I was going to stay and bunker down in the basement of a church, but the concerns are getting worse in terms of the wind.

"The problem everyone has is that we have no gas. I have just enough to make it to Miami."

She said the residents of Seminole Heights were very nervous and had begun preparing their houses for the hurricane's impact.

"Being in Florida for seven years, we get accustomed to this, but this time it felt a little bit different.

"I don't know if everyone is overreacting and panicking, if the media is just scaring us a little more this time. A lot of my neighbours are boarded up or have fled already."

She said she did not know when she would return to her home in Tampa.

"It just depends on how bad it hits Tampa. I don't know if I'll have a house to return to."

Newsday asked Pollonais her emotional state.

"I have not slept in three days. I don't think I have the capacity to feel emotions towards something so far away.

"I'm just hoping the hurricane doesn't take a turn and hit lower down south (Florida), where I am."

She said she hoped people took the hurricane seriously, as people tended to make jokes about the situation.

"When I tell people about it their first reaction is, 'When you blow away,' and stuff like that.

"I think people should take this more seriously, and if you have a gut feeling and something is telling you to evacuate, the best choice is to listen."