TAMPA — By noon on Tuesday, more than 400 people had already checked into the Hillsborough County evacuation center at Middleton High School, one of nine evacuation centers available across the county.
“You can’t take no chances at all,” said one senior.
Seniors who have lived in Tampa Bay their entire lives say if they were ever going to evacuate to a shelter, this is the storm.
“Because I believe this storm is going to bring a lot of water, and it might be a lot lot of water,” said Matthew Wilson.
“Getting out and getting in is sometimes the most important thing and getting into this type of shelter,” said Sage De Matte.
“I was going to wait a little bit later and I say, 'no its best to come now,'” said Mammie Williams.
Williams usually stays with a friend during hurricane evacuations.
“This time she is even leaving so I know that this storm is really serious,” said Williams.
So Mamie is now seeking shelter at Middleton High School.
“I have high blood pressure and I have lots of other ailments and with me being by myself and if something happens there is no one to help me, so I want to make sure that I’m here around people,” said Williams.
Hillsborough County acknowledges that some of these seniors will be going to a shelter for the first time and are prepared for that.
“Helping them, explaining things to them, showing them what they need to do, we’re escorting them, just trying to meet needs as much as we can,” said shelter supervisor Maaria Nelson.
A state report says hundreds of frail elderly nursing home residents were stacked side by side, head to toe in a small church with no working air conditioning or refrigerator during Hurricane Helene.
