People with ties to Wisconsin and Florida face a difficult situation as they wait for Hurricane Milton to make landfall after it intensified into a Category 5 hurricane on Monday.
"They've always bypassed us either to the south or the north. It looks like this one's going to hit us right in the middle," John Koktowski told TMJ4 News.
John and his wife, Karen, spend half of the year in Door County and the other half in Central Florida.
The couple says they are feeling worried, anxious, and scared as the hurricane moves closer.
Watch: 'Very scary': Families face difficult situations as Hurricane Milton intensifies
"The chances of our electricity going out are great," Karen said.
The pair intentionally picked a home away from the shore, but even that area is not immune from the storm. They arrived in Florida last week, and after warnings about Hurricane Milton grew, they started stocking up on supplies.
"The grocery stores are full. The lines are long. There's no more toilet paper. Water is going quickly. Propane tanks are gone," John explained. "I went to the bank today. There are a lot of people at the bank getting cash."
"You have a feeling of helplessness because you're away from home and all of this craziness is going on," Amanda Fenick told TMJ4.
Fenick's home is in Largo, Florida, which is close to Tampa Bay.
"We've had Category 2 hurricane-force winds, but nothing like this. Staring down the barrel of a Category 5 is very intense and very scary," Fenick added.
Fenick is on the road and heading to Madison, Wisconsin, as part of The Amazing Acro-Cats tour, a live animal show that promotes cat adoption.
Her family is staying at a hotel in Florida. They told her to hold off on coming home.
"It's hard to feel relief, knowing that they are in the path of danger," Fenick said. "I would rather be there."
Amanda and the Koktowskis are just a few people hoping for the best while facing an impossibly difficult situation.
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