Tampa teacher with ties to Indy evacuates as Hurricane Milton approaches
(WISH) — Thousands of people in the path of Hurricane Milton on Tuesday were evacuating.
Teacher Magan Ratcliff, who is originally from Lawrence area of Marion County, was evacuating as Milton approached the coastline.
“This is the first time I’ve actually been kind of nervous. I went through Irma and the other ones that were kind of nerve-racking, but this one has a different feel to it,” she said.
Ratcliff has called Tampa home for the past 18 years. She and nearly a dozen other teachers from West Gate Christian School live in evacuation Zone A. All were on a bus to Pensacola on Tuesday.
They originally planned to be in Pensacola for a teacher-planning day, so the school is extending their stay to keep them safe. They plan to return at the end of the week.
“The plan is to tentatively leave on Friday, Friday night. Again, that depends on what the area looks like.”
Ratcliff said it’s been almost 100 years since Tampa has had a direct hit, but the approaching hurricane was particularly scary since they just experienced damage and flooding from Hurricane Helene.
“Living so close and being so close to the ground, it’s extremely nerve-wracking,” Ratcliff said.
Ratcliff moved her sentimental items away to friends and family to hold, and put up hurricane shutters and sandbags to protect her home while she’s away.
“We’ve not seen a hit like this in a long time, and everyone just send your prayers down here,” she said.
As Ratcliff sees it, evacuating can be stressful, but staying safe is priority.
“Just be patient. It took us a little over four hours for a drive that would normally take two,” she said.