Co Derry teacher and family took shelter in Orlando hotel while north Belfast woman bunkered down at home
Clare McFlynn has been sheltering with her two teenage daughters in a hotel in Orlando, where the hurricane made landfall on Wednesday night as a ‘Category 3’ storm.
“It was so loud and the noises were very strange,” said the Swatragh woman.
“It’s hard to describe as I’ve never actually heard anything like it before, almost ghost-like sounds. But we’re just relieved it’s passed now and we’re all okay.”
Clare also expressed relief at the news that the heavily populated Tampa area appeared to have escaped the devastating storm surge which had been predicted.
“Some of our neighbours and students at my school either didn’t leave or couldn’t, so I’m glad it wasn’t as strong as initially predicted.”
Debris left over from Hurricane Helene is pictured on the side of a road near Bahia Beach, in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024 in Ruskin, Fla. (Luis Santana/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
Clare, whose husband is currently on a work trip overseas, had planned for an evacuation on Sunday, but feared she had left it too late on Monday afternoon when pictures of long tailbacks out of Tampa began to emerge.
“When we got home and checked the news reports, the traffic was so awful that I realised it was going to pose more danger for us to leave at that time. I was worried that we would spend hours in traffic and run out of petrol. It was just too risky.
“So on Tuesday morning, we prepared the house, brought in the outside furniture and made sure the windows were blocked, made sure we had enough food and water in the house – mostly food we could eat with no power.
“But at midday on Tuesday, the local sheriff posted a drone video showing a clear road from Tampa to Orlando.
“So I told the kids to go pack a bag and we were out the door in 30 minutes.”
A construction crane fell over into an office building that houses the Tampa Bay Times headquarters (Tampa Bay Times via AP)
The family arrived in Orlando on Tuesday evening.
“The hotel was packed. It took us two hours to check in. It’s strange being in Orlando when the tourist attractions are closed, but looking out the hotel window now, the damage doesn’t seem too bad.”
The high school teacher plans to make the journey back to her home today.
“Obviously we’re worried about getting back home and what we’re coming back to. A friend told me we won’t get home today as trees are blocking the route, so hopefully by tomorrow they’ll be cleared,” she said yesterday.
She is still unsure about when she will be able to return to work.
“The authorities won’t be able to open the schools until those who are using them as a shelter are able to return home. Schools are due to reopen on Monday, but I can’t see that happening.”
Expressing concern for those students at her school who weren’t able to evacuate, she added: “A lot of them wouldn’t have the means to be able to evacuate, so they had to go to the shelters and hope for the best. It’s been a difficult time for so many.”
Meanwhile, Orlando resident Tracie Delaney-Evans, who spoke to this newspaper on Wednesday about her preparations for the storm, said she was glad she had an easier evening that she initially expected.
Tracie Delaney-Evans
Speaking again on Thursday, the north Belfast woman said she was able to fall asleep and shared footage from outside her home which is located close to Disney World Florida in Wyndham, showing large gale force winds blowing trees.
“I was able to fall asleep last night, which is good, but I did sleep in my clothes in case FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which helps Americans during disasters) had to come and rescue me,” she said.
“I do keep losing power on and off, so I have been scrolling social media for updates because the television keeps going on and off so I’m not able to keep up to date with the news. But I have friends who live less than a mile from me who have had very bad flooding, I was with them last night too.
“Thankfully, at the moment and even though I live on a ground floor condo, I haven’t had anything like that yet. I have been outside though to show my daughter a video and was told to get back inside – but it’s not too bad, it’s a bit blowy and a bit windy as we would say in Belfast.
“It’s a bit of luck of the draw it seems, because my friend in Tampa has been directly hit so I am very lucky. I’m mentally exhausted too, but I have been keeping my friends and family updated.”
Damage to a mobile home in Harbor Lights Club, a mobile home park is shown on Long Bayou in St. Petersburg, Fla. after Hurricane Milton (Tampa Bay Times via AP)