SARASOTA, Fla. — As the state of Florida braces for Hurricane Milton, a Parma man is hunkered down in Sarasota at his childhood home.
Keith Miller tells 3News he was on a business trip in Tampa, but decided to stay through the hurricane alongside his elderly parents.
“For them to grab all their stuff, being 83-years-old, pack all their stuff up into a car and drive somewhere... They barely drive now, it just isn't even an option for them,” said Miller.
Less than two weeks ago, Hurricane Helene hit Florida, claiming the lives of over 200 people across the South. Now, weary Floridians are bracing for this impending threat.
Emergency officials and experts warn Milton will catalyze a storm surge in the Sarasota area, causing up to 15 feet of water to rise.
Over the last few days, officials urged millions to evacuate.
“When I got down here, the very first thing I said was, 'Do you guys want to leave?' And they were like, 'no, we're good,'” said Miller.
Miller believes his parents' home can withstand the projected weather conditions, adding that it has a two-story addition.
Their neighborhood is two miles inland from the coast, and right now, there's water in their backyard caused by the flooding of Hurricane Helene and continued rain.
“You just wait around for the power to go off, and then you try to have those things ready to go for when the power does go off," said Miller. "And then hopefully the cell towers don't go down, but it's not looking good.”
Miller tells 3News they will stay awake as the hurricane makes landfall and stay vigilant, but it's hard for him to imagine what comes next.
“It's great that I'm going to be here to help them clean up afterwards if there is any cleanup or to help them leave if the house is unlivable," said Miller. "All that stuff is just weird to even think about.”