COCKROACH BAY, Florida — Residents of Ruskin, Florida, on the south side of Tampa Bay, were still recovering from Hurricane Helene days earlier when the order came to evacuate because of Hurricane Milton.
Helene brought massive floods to this low-lying community, leaving residents in standing water for several days.
Damage from Hurricane Helene seen in Ruskin, Florida on Oct. 8, 2024. Steve Helling/NYPost
Debris pilled up on the side of a road in Ruskin. Steve Helling/NYPost
Hurricane Milton seen from a satellite.
“I saw a little water on kitchen floor,” said Charlotte Farrell, 80, who lives in a tidy mobile home in Ruskin. “I went to the closet to get a towel, and in that time, the water rose up to my ankles. Then it was at my knees and I wondered if it was going to stop.”
Farrell has been told to evacuate this time, too. But she’s staying put — though she’s conceded she might leave her trailer.
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“Everyone says I should go to a shelter for this one, my son says I need to. I haven’t decided yet. I’m not leaving town, this is my home, but I can decide to go to the middle school later if I want to shelter there.”
(The local middle school, Shields Middle School, is a shelter.)
Ruskin residents have been ordered to evacuate due to Hurricane Milton. Steve Helling/NYPost
A local middle school in Ruskin has been converted into a shelter for Milton. Steve Helling/NYPost“The police went door to door yesterday telling us that we should get out, mostly because this is a trailer and we’re in a flood zone. They said it’s mandatory, but if we don’t, we’re responsible for what happens to us,” she said.
Another family was packing up their SUV to leave.
“We had some flooding last time, but not as bad as most people in town,” said Ruskin resident Ben McLean. “Just really in the screen room. But this time it could be worse, so we’re going to Orlando. Get away from this s–t.”
