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‘Snowbirds’ Head Home From Florida

WAYNE COUNTY — It’s still unclear when Hurricane Irma will reach Florida’s coast. The sunshine state is a second home to many people in our ar...

WAYNE COUNTY -- It's still unclear when Hurricane Irma will reach Florida's coast. The sunshine state is a second home to many people in our area.

Some have chosen to stay, others have already returned to northeastern Pennsylvania.

Rick Miller, of Wayne County, bought a place in Cape Canaveral back in June and spent most of the summer fixing it up. He chose to drive away from it earlier this week and head home to Lake Ariel:

Newswatch 16 met Rick Miller while he was still fresh off of an overnight trip home to Lake Ariel.

He drove back from a place he still hopes to call home: Cape Canaveral, Florida.

"One day we were sitting on the beach, the next day we were worried about our homes," he said.

Miller bought a home there in June and has spent the summer renovating it.

As the threat from Hurricane Irma grew closer and more serious, Miller decided to board up the windows of his new home and head back to Pennsylvania. Many of his neighbors, who include people from Lackawanna County, have decided to ride out the storm.

"I spoke to about 80% of them, [they] said they were going to ride it out. But, I hope they reconsider it after the forecast," Miller added.

Miller said gasoline in Florida jumped 60 cents in price and stores are already wiped out of bottled water and non perishable food.

"It`s a very eerie feeling, you know that people are definitely concerned and stocking up," Miller said.

Miller said he has exchanged numbers with neighbors who have decided to stay in Florida so that he can check in on them and his property.

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