Despite being told to evacuate, Michael Ward, a 33-year resident of Treasure Island on Florida’s Gulf coast, chose to stay put during Hurricane Helene. He instantly regretted his choice.
The 67-year-old Ward chose to stay there with his wife rather than travel inland to visit a friend’s house. He was afraid he would be electrocuted in his one-story home as floods resulted from intense rainfall, but the storm surge kept him from even opening his door.
Finally, he managed to get away by climbing out of a window. He went about half a mile, waist deep in murky water, to a neighbor’s two-story house, where he spent the night.
“I can’t believe that it happened. I have lived in Florida for 44 years, and too many times, the news reports about these storms turn out to be wrong,” Ward told AFP.
“I guess we ran out of luck.”
Across from Saint Petersburg lies a chain of barrier islands that includes Treasure Island.
This 6,500-person city, which is primarily populated by wealthy professionals and retirees, saw one fatality from Helene late on Thursday. In all, the storm claimed the lives of several dozen people in the US.
The storm surge rose to 2.1 meters, or almost seven feet. Mud covers the sidewalks, and doors, sofas, mattresses, and refrigerators that were swept away by the floods are strewn in front of houses.
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