ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — As Hurricane Ian makes its way toward Florida, local residents are preparing for the storm. Some are evacuating, while others are stocking on supplies for survival.
Lili Sheedy is she's creating a plan to stay in the area after arriving to Tampa Bay on Monday night. Lili and her fiancé, Jennifer, returned to their Florida home to be alongside their dog, Fenway, and two cats.
"We have pets, that makes it hard to evacuate," Sheedy said. "We're still trying to do it smartly and we have backup plans."
As a former Davenport resident, Lili has never experienced a hurricane. She describes the experience as unique and being on a roller coaster of emotions.
"It's uncertainty, a lot of mixed emotions, because the forecast keeps changing," Sheedy said. "Some people are completely panicking and boarding up their houses. Then there's people that are hanging out on the porch having a beer."
The couple has stocked up on supplies; going to the grocery store for canned goods and water. They're freezing water bottles to keep their goods frozen as long as possible when the power goes out.
They're also making plans with their neighbors, making sure that they are still in contact during the storm.
"The cool thing is all the neighbors have talked more to each other this morning than we have all week," Sheedy said. "Everybody is making sure they have each other's phone numbers. Everybody's saying, 'Are you staying? I'm staying so if you need anything', so we know exactly who's staying in the neighborhood and who's gone. That's kind of the fun part of it."
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