TOLEDO, Ohio — Hurricane Milton made landfall Wednesday night near Siesta Key, Florida.
Officials in the state have been warning people on the Florida gulf that if they stay home, they'll be faced with dangerous circumstances.
"When the national news said, "That's your coffin,' our phones were lighting up with people saying, 'get out,'" said Mary Hartnett, a Nokomis, Florida resident.
Hartnett is about 70 miles south of Tampa and said she usually doesn't leave for hurricanes.
"We have always stayed because we have a secure home. We do the shutters, we clean up and it's safe. I mean, we've gone through a CAT-4 and not had any worries," she said.
However, with Milton, worry is what led her to leave this time.
"I think the big thing with this one is the storm surge," she explained.
With the storm expected to hit many parts of the state due to its size, cell service is also a concern for residents as they try to stay in contact with their families.
.Jim Knapinski lives in Port Charlotte, Florida, and used to live in Toledo.
He said he makes sure that he has a way to reach out for help.
"We have a boat radio and you can get on it and you can call, whether it's the Coast Guard or whoever or other people, just by going to the proper channel," Knapinski said.
Harnett said her backup is a satellite phone, which she always makes sure to test before using.
"We tested ours yesterday for the SOS satellite because we figured they told us the cell towers would go down so we would not have cell service," she said.
Knapinski said while he deals with the devastation in his town, being able to talk to family is a top priority.
"Just to hear from somebody if they've got somebody up north, once they can finally reach out and get in touch with them," he said.
But despite his family's stress, Knapinski feels well prepared.
"I think it's probably harder for them, I want to say, than it is for us. It's a little easier when you're going through it and you see what it really entails and you know how well you're prepared," he said.
During this time, Harnett and Knapinski said as destructive and horrible the hurricanes are, they also witnessed the local community coming together.
"Our neighbors who did set inland and up north, they've told us to feel free to go into their homes and help ourselves in case we run short on something here," Knapinski said.
Hartnett shared a similar sentiment.
"There's been a lot of connection there, keeping in contact knowing which neighbors were staying, which ones are going, if you need anything. People are helping people," she said.
However, the calm after the storm is what Hartnett said she's dreading the most.
"Between the flooding on the road along with the debris, I think that's a worry, that now that we're out, we won't be able to get back in to see what's left," she said.