August 29, 2023 - Hurricane Idalia forecast to become extremely dangerous Category 4 storm
The owner of a marina in Florida's gulf coast town of Steinhatchee told CNN he is choosing to stay put despite local evacuation orders.
“We’re all worried and that’s why we’re staying here -- to see if there’s anything we can do to protect what we have,” Chase Norwood, owner of Chase-N-Fish Charters at Sea Hag Marina, told CNN Tuesday night.
Norwood said the marina is his family's livelihood, leaving him determined to preserve it as much as possible.
They said they have done all they can to prepare for the incoming storm, including boarding up the marina and moving equipment to higher ground. He is hoping floodwaters and storm surge are less severe than expected.
Norwood’s sister, who is pregnant and could give birth any day now, has evacuated the area and gone to Gainesville, he said.
Last year, Norwood helped with storm damage in Fort Meyers after Hurricane Ian hit the area.
“We saw stuff we didn’t know a storm could do and it was an eye-opener,” he said.
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