MIDDLETON, FLORIDA (NBC 26) — Imagine relocating to Florida, hoping for sunshine, only to be met with three hurricanes in just three months. That's the reality for one Green Bay family who's now riding out yet another storm.
The Kolz family, who relocated to Middleton, Florida, in July, has already faced Hurricanes Debbie, Helene, and Milton.
Dave Kolz, who recently retired from the Green Bay Metro Fire Department, made the move to Middleton, Florida, with his family in July. They were excited for a fresh start, but Florida's hurricane season had other plans.
“We never imagined having three hurricanes within the first three months we've been here,” said Kim Kolz.
Watch: Wisconsin family moves to Florida, immediately gets hit by 3 hurricanes:
Their new homeᅳjust over an hour from Tampaᅳis built to withstand 180-mile-per-hour winds. With his background in emergency management, Dave said staying put during the storms made sense. “I'm not going to put our dog and all four of us in a car and try to go four hours away. And who knows what you're going to run intoᅳtraffic, flash floods, debris, accidents.”
Hurricanes Debbie, Helene, and now Milton have kept the family on high alert. While the first two storms passed without much damage, Hurricane Milton had them on edge. “I was concerned about this one,” Dave admitted. “I followed it really close, and my understanding was this thing was going to take a little bit of a turn to the south, and that's exactly what it did.”
Despite the stress, the family has found comfort in their new community, and back home in Green Bay, friends and family are sending plenty of support from afar. “It's been really nice to hear from everybody at home. It's just like a big hug from all of our friends and family that we miss so much,” said Kim.
Dave, who's already back to working with a local fire department in Florida, is ready to jump into action once the storm clears. “On Friday, we'll go back in response mode and do what we always do, whether I'm cleaning up debris in Green Bay, Wisconsin, or Florida. It's really the same, right? You're trying to get people back to normal daily life.”
The Kolz family confirmed Thursday they're safe after Hurricane Milton made landfall Wednesday night. Dave said there was water under their home's front door, and he plans on reviewing the damage later today.
Most of the newer homes in his neighborhood held up under the conditions of Hurricane Milton. It wasn't a fun 12 hours as the storm passed through, but he's glad everyone is all right and that they never lost power.
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