Hurricane Ian has left over one million Florida residents without power the state is usually a destination for Canadians looking to escape the cold, like Vicki Stewart.
The snowbird has travelled south to winter in Florida for over a decade now. But the storm has her second guessing her plans for this year.
“We’re up in the air, we’re uncertain,” Stewart said. “We don’t know really what to expect yet”.
Stewart is keeping a close eye on the path of the storm to see if it hits Madeira beach, where she owns a trailer. But according to her, she’s most worried about the community that’s been her home away from home for over 10 years.
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“Yes, it is concerning — all the devastation and the people and their kids and pets that have been so brutally affected,” Stewart said.
“Like, we’re safe up here. It’s just a trailer”
It’s a sentiment shared by fellow snowbird, Adam Flisikowski. “The first thing is the safety of the people so hopefully the people are okay,” Flisikowski said.
Despite the hurricanes he is still planning on making his trip to Florida in the fall, although he is keeping his eyes open.
“I know it’s hurricane season right now, so I’m not sure the extent of how the far the season goes into November or December,” Flisikowski said. “But there was one last week, hurricane Fiona, and there’s one this week so I’m hoping there’s not one in a month from now”
For now, Florida is still dealing with the power outages and flooding caused by storms, and these Canadians can only hope for the best for their neighbours south of the border.