Icelander seeks safety in Orlando hotel as hurricane Milton approaches Florida

Elva Johnson, an Icelander who fled her home in Sarasota on Florida’s west coast, is currently staying at a hotel in Orlando due to the approaching hurricane Milton. Despite Orlando being a significant distance from the hurricane’s center, she reports having trouble sleeping due to severe weather conditions.

“The weather here in Orlando is crazy. I just received a public safety alert on my phone indicating that flooding has begun near my hotel,” Elva said. Although Orlando is not located by the sea, she notes that flooding could occur from nearby lakes and rivers due to substantial rainfall. A curfew is in effect in Orlando until 2 PM.

Since yesterday evening, Elva has not had news from her home, reaching out only to an elderly neighbor who mentioned that the windows were rattling and unusual noises were disturbing the house as the storm worsened. The power was cut off in her area last night at 6:30 PM, and nearly three million homes are currently without electricity due to the storm. Although Elva has a Ring doorbell camera, it is not operational due to the power outage, but she is following local discussions through a smart app, where residents share updates about the situation.

Elva also reported that the first flood warning for her neighborhood was issued around 4 PM yesterday, followed by regular updates. The actual extent of the damage will not be clear until later today. Curfews are in place across much of Florida until the afternoon, reserved only for first responders and emergency services.