MARATHON, Fla. – A tropical storm watch was in effect for the Florida Keys Monday as Hurricane Milton roared off the Gulf of Mexico.
The Keys were walloped by pelting rain Monday as residents wondered what the next few days would look like.
“I’m not scared, I’ve been through this all my life,” Marathon resident Kenny Barry said.
Local 10 News spoke to Key Largo resident Justin Andrews, who said he’s been through this before.
“We’re all ready for it down here,” Andrews said. “I mean, the Keys are super resilient. You know, that we’ve been through it all before and if something bad does happen, that the community always comes together down here. It’s awesome.”
Nelson Rodriguez, a retired firefighter who keeps a boat in Key Largo, said, “You know, it’s time to get your boat out, especially with the high waves and you don’t know what the storm is going to do.”
“It’s just better to be safe than sorry,” he said.
People who live on their boats at Boot Key Harbor in Marathon came back for provisions while deciding whether to stay or to go.
“I just moved here from Jackson Hole, Wyoming and bought this sailboat,” liveaboard Trace O’Leary said. “I’m just hoping, you know, nothing happens but you know where I’m at...everyone says those boats over there survived Irma. I’m gonna see if I have to move tomorrow.”
Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay urged residents to take the storm seriously.
“We still need to watch it, monitor it, take protective actions,” he said. “If you don’t have to go somewhere, don’t drive somewhere. We’re going to see a lot of rain, pooling water on the roads, (it’s) dangerous.”