Some Floridians didn’t even know about the devastating storm that was brewing just south of Tampa. Hurricane Idalia was going to have the strongest storm surge Tampa has ever seen in over 100 years. As the storm changed course and new models were sent out every few hours, Tampa residences knew they were going to have a long night. Senior Jonathan Kelly and his family took the smart and safe route and decided to prepare their home and make a plan of action. Jonathan and his “…family barricaded all of our doors and boarded up our windows to prevent the hurricane from damaging the inside of our house.” As an extra layer of precaution, they “…also stocked up on lots of hot chocolate to keep ourselves warm in case the power went out.” Since the storm was supposed to be the largest Tampa had ever seen, it definitely caused some fears. “Hearing the rain batter our windows and the wind blow through the trees was truly a frightening experience,” Jonathan explained. After locals in Tampa learned that the storm was moving north, “…the relief we felt was like a calm cool wave crashing over us and washing all our fears and worries away.”
