NEW ORLEANS — Highways were packed as millions of people escaped the path of Hurricane Milton. It's one of the largest evacuations in Florida's history.
Three friends walking around the French Quarter Wednesday said they chose to evacuate to New Orleans because it was marked as a safe spot.
The friends said they live on the coast in the Tampa Bay area where Milton is expected to make a direct hit.
“I grew up there. He grew up there. He did too. I mean all of us," Nikola Maljkovic said. "but this is the first time any of us have ever evacuated. Just because they were kind of like this one is really going to hit us."
Nikola Maljkovic and Eddy Varona said they're nurses at hospitals near the coast. They anticipated staying and working through the storm but were told the hospitals also had to evacuate.
So, the friends decided to make the journey to New Orleans.
“The drive is like 10 hours, but it took us about 15-16 hours," Maljkovic said.
In New Orleans, we know all too well the heavy emotions that come with hurricanes. We also know that between gas, meals, and hotels, evacuating isn't cheap.
Alija Cancar said as they arrived in the Crescent City, he felt guilty.
“I do feel bad for those people who are stuck who don’t have a way of even evacuating or even going 30 miles let alone 700 miles to a different state," Cancar said, "So, it’s sad. It’s sad. It’s sad to think about that we’re here and it’s sunny and nice and people are dealing with tornadoes.”
Local tourism officials with New Orleans & Company said we are ready to welcome evacuees with open arms. However, it's hard to quantify exactly how many people are here due to Milton.
“We know as New Orleanians how scary it can be to deal with a storm," New Orleans & Co. Senior VP of Communications, Kelly Schulz, said. "And leaving your home, and all of those uncertainties, and so our hospitality community will do what we always do which is take care of them."
Schulz said a convention that brought more than 20,000 people to the city is ending on Wednesday. That means more hotel rooms will be available for anyone needing a place to stay.
Another option is Airbnb.org, the nonprofit that connects people with free, temporary housing in times of crisis. You can sign up to open up your home to those impacted by the hurricanes or donate to the organization, where 100 percent of the donations go toward covering the cost of temporary stays.
In just over a week, more than 2,400 people displaced by Hurricane Helene have used Airbnb.org, according to a spokesperson.
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.