LONGBOAT KEY, Fla. — Instead of enjoying time on the beach for their wedding anniversary, WHAS11's John Charlton and his wife are trying to outrun a massive force of nature.
Their celebrations were cut short once they were ordered to evacuate Wednesday as Hurricane Helene continues to rapidly intensify just south of the Gulf of Mexico. Experts believe it could eventually end up being a Category 3 or 4 hurricane when it makes landfall.
Charlton and his wife are in Longboat Key, which is located along Florida’s Gulf Coast near Sarasota and Manatee Bay Counties. It’s also in the path of Helene, where a four-to-eight foot storm surge is expected in the area over the next few days.
"Obviously the winds are kicking up and the surf is getting rougher," he said Wednesday afternoon. "It's not supposed to hit here until overnight today and into Thursday."
Despite their vacation being short cut, Charlton's still keeping his spirits high and is hoping those in the path of Helene are able to stay safe. He said they plan to stay at a friend's condo in Fort Meyers to ride out the hurricane.
"We have plenty of time to evacuate but we definitely want to get off this island before they decide to shut the water off or close the two bridges allowing people on and off this island," he said.
If the hurricane doesn't cause too much damage in Longboat Key, they hope to return for a few more days to wrap up their anniversary vacation.
This is the second time in the last three years the Charltons have needed to evacuate Florida due to a hurricane.
"The first one was Ian where we evacuated to Naples because it was out of the cone, and then once we got to the hotel in Naples, the hurricane shifted and we were [back] inside the cone," he said. "Our digital director Jay Skebba said 'next year go to Duluth,' so I think that may be safer against a hurricane!"
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