As Hurricane Milton approaches Florida, former residents of Oklahoma now in the storm's path are preparing for the worst, while support teams from their home state are mobilizing to assist in the impending crisis. According to KFOR, these Oklahoman-provided teams consist of first responders from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Oklahoma City Fire, and Norman Police, as well as canine units and swift water rescue teams.
Oklahoma's Department of Emergency Management is doubling down on its support. "We have deployed three swift water teams in advance of the storm and then an outstanding incident management team from the state level," said Annie Vest, the Department's Director, according to a statement obtained by KFOR. Floridians, including those from Oklahoma, seem to be responding to the advice to remain in place rather than evacuate ahead of Hurricane Milton's landfall.
Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief teams, in the wake of Hurricane Helene, are currently in North Carolina and Georgia providing aid. One relief worker, Jason Yarbrough, told News9, "There's some businesses that are just gone," he added, "And homes that floated away, those types of different things that they've experienced. Folks are definitely hurting, definitely looking for some beam of hope." Crews from all over the country, including Oklahomans, are now preparing to offer similar support to victims of Hurricane Milton.
In a gesture of interstate solidarity, Mike Dunham from Mayes County Emergency Management reflected on past assistance from Florida during Oklahoma's tornadoes. "We needed the help," Dunham stated, "So Florida said, ‘Hey we got you.’ They come up here, they helped us. For us, we're just returning the favor," in a statement obtained by News9.
Amidst the preparations and inter-state cooperation, personal stories emerge from those facing the threat of Hurricane Milton. Melissa Sanders, an Oklahoma native now in St. Petersburg, Florida, decided evacuation was the best course of action, expressing concern over the safety of her home. "Our biggest fear is we won't have anywhere to go back to," she confessed in an interview with KOCO. Despite the challenges, her story is one of many as families prepare, evacuate, and anticipate the possibility of returning to their homes after the storm.
