Families Flee Southfield Amid Hurricane Milton’s Fury

Families Flee Southfield Amid Hurricane Milton’s Fury

Southfield, Mich. — As Hurricane Milton barrels through the Gulf of Mexico, residents are feeling the urgency to escape its potential devastation. One local family, the Bojanowskis, are making the long trip back to Michigan to find shelter.

The Journey Begins

Anthony Bojanowski, a Southfield native, packed up his wife and three children and hit the road from Winter Haven, Florida, to his grandmother’s home in Canton. On a video chat, he shared his experience of the chaotic journey amid a looming hurricane. “We were trying to get ahead of traffic but ended up getting stuck behind an accident,” he explained, his concern evident as the clock ticked by.

The Harsh Reality of Hurricanes

Having weathered Hurricane Ian just a few years prior, when his wife was pregnant with twins, Bojanowski knows exactly how unpredictable and dangerous hurricanes can be. That experience left a deep impression on him. He recalled, “We were trapped due to flooding, so I’m not going to take any chances with Milton.”

As he monitored the weather, he noticed how quickly Hurricane Milton intensified. Starting as a tropical storm, the hurricane jumped to a Category 2 and then skyrocketed to a Category 5 just a few hours later. “When we realized it was a Category 5, that’s when we knew we had to leave immediately,” he said, adding that navigating a severe storm with three young kids amplifies the stress and difficulty of the situation.

Deciding to Depart

Bojanowski mentioned that after Hurricane Helen, they had seen unusual disturbances forming in the Gulf, but they never expected it to evolve into something threatening their area. “We rarely see hurricanes shoot straight west to east like this,” he remarked. “At first, we didn’t think it would be as serious.”

However, as predictions for the hurricane worsened, with forecasts directly placing their home in its path, he and his wife had an important conversation. “When we saw the initial outlook for the storm’s actual track, that put a little bug in our head like, ‘OK, this could be something serious,’” he said.

Caring for Family in Danger

While the Bojanowski family focused on their own safety, Anthony’s thoughts also drifted to family members still in Florida. He expressed his worries about his grandparents, who are in their 80s and currently in Sarasota, facing the storm alone. “I’m really concerned about them and other family members still in harm’s way,” he noted with a hint of sadness.

Safety First

For many families like the Bojanowskis, the unpredictability of hurricanes inspires urgent actions to protect their loved ones. As the storm continues to threaten communities along its path, more and more residents are likely to make similar decisions to safeguard their families.

As the family traveled further north, they remained hopeful for their safety and the safety of those they left behind in Florida. It’s a poignant reminder of the challenges families face during hurricane season, constantly weighing the needs of loved ones against the urgency of escaping possible danger.