A Florida man refuses to evacuate for Hurricane Milton and intends to 'swim out' to safety once the storm surge hits.
A man from Tampa, Florida, has gone viral for remaining in the eye of Hurricane Helene.
Matthew Heller, a lifelong Floridian, has opted to remain in Tampa despite officials urging evacuation zone residents to vacate the area.
Heller, a business owner, informed Planet Chronicle Digital that he is uncertain about the storm's direction and some of his neighbors have already evacuated.
"My house is my livelihood, so I plan on staying put. However, I've seen others leave," he said.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor issued a grave warning to those remaining in evacuation zones, stating, "Staying in these evacuation areas will result in death," she said on CNN on Monday.
Heller stated that if he ever felt threatened, he would wear a life jacket and swim out to a higher, dry location. He had moved his vehicles to such areas in the past few days in anticipation of the water receding.
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Residents are frantically searching for gas, resulting in "total pandemonium," according to Heller.
"I wanted to fill up my tank. I had about half a tank and just want to top it off...it took 10 stations. They all have plastic over the pumps, and once I found an open station...folks were not lining up properly in queue, people screaming, honking the horn. And the storm hasn't even got here yet. So terrifying," he said.
Hurricane Helene hit the same area just weeks ago, leaving Heller's entire home flooded with water reaching a high of five and a half feet.
"Over 11 days, trash has been accumulating in our streets. Despite the significant amount of storm debris left behind, I haven't noticed any attempts to clear it up. As a result, I feel like we are on our own here," Heller stated.
During Hurricane Helene, Heller gained popularity on TikTok by kayaking around his flooded home and recording footage of the water-damaged dwelling.
Heller stated that he has been recovering from the destruction of his house for a week, removing drywall and the entire downstairs. The debris is now sitting at the curb. The city of Tampa advised them to leave it unbagged. As a result, Heller has a large amount of loose construction debris. His main concern is that the debris could clog drainage systems and cause further damage or become projectiles, harming other properties.
Heller said that his family is concerned about his safety.
lifestyle
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