Video: SA couple narrowly escape US hurricanes

After narrowly escaping the devastation of Hurricane Helene, Zululanders faced the looming threat of Hurricane Milton.

2 hours ago
Tracey Turner 2 minutes read
Rudi and Sharnee Stadler safely evacuated from Hurricane Milton's path. Photo: www.solidground.org.za

Richards Bay locals Rudi and Sharnee Stadler found themselves navigating the chaos of two hurricanes within days of each other while travelling to Florida, USA, for a wedding.

Arriving on September 28, they narrowly missed Hurricane Helene, which left 227 people dead and hundreds missing after making landfall just two days earlier.

“Our hosts were worried we would be stuck in New York due to Helene, but fortunately we just missed it,” Rudi said speaking to the Zululand Observer yesterday.

The Stadlers attended the wedding on Saturday between John Mascia (in the video) and his bride, which went off without a hitch despite being held between two hurricanes.

“They were stressed; beaches were closed, and workers were clearing the roads and rebuilding destroyed houses and buildings,” he said, describing the post-Helene atmosphere.

As Hurricane Milton began its approach this week, the Stadlers’ hosts were again in a panic.

“News broke about Hurricane Milton’s approach and severity, raising concerns that our flights out would be in danger as warnings were issued to prepare for a category 5 hurricane.”

Pre-storm preparations continued unabated as Hurricane Milton was set to make landfall in Florida today (Wednesday).

“The most panicked people were those living in modular houses, who had to evacuate or move to shelters as schools closed and shops were boarded up,” Rudi said, adding that he and Sharnee helped secure their hosts’ home before evacuating.

“The concern was flying debris and high winds expected to reach around 180mph (289km/h). We helped batten down the hatches, move tables closer to the house, tie down chairs, get diesel, and even prepared a dinghy on standby.

“We saw loads of cars queued up for petrol and diesel; quite a sight in a first-world country, with food shelves emptied in hours,” Rudi said.

The Stadlers evacuated safely from Fort Myers yesterday morning, catching one of the last flights out.

“My heart breaks for those left behind. They’ll face power outages, loss of mobile reception, and shortages, but the sense of community is encouraging as people gather to have ‘hurricane parties,’” he said.

American meteorologist Noah Bergren explained on X that Hurricane Milton is nothing short of astronomical, as it is nearing the mathematical limit of what the planet’s atmosphere can produce.

“I am at a loss for words to meteorologically describe you the storm’s small eye and intensity.”

Read original story on www.citizen.co.za

2 hours ago
Tracey Turner 2 minutes read
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