A Florida man, William Fulford, chose to remain in his $1.25 million home in the path of Hurricane Milton, claiming the property sustained minimal damage and is currently powered by a backup solar system. While he acknowledged the devastation in parts of his neighborhood, with roofs torn off trailer-park homes and downed power lines, Fulford reported that his home fared well. “The storm came through and we were about 15 miles from the eye of it,” he stated. “It actually came in a different direction this time, for us, as opposed to Helene. It came across the back of the house instead of the front. It was a lot of rain, a lot of hard gusts. I think we hit 100 miles per hour a few times, but absolutely no problems at all.” Fulford noted that the solar power system activated when the city’s grid went down, allowing his home to continue functioning normally. He advised that during the day, residents should conserve energy by turning off unnecessary appliances to avoid draining the battery too quickly.
William Fulford, who opted to stay in his Tampa Bay-area home during Hurricane Milton, shared that while the power is still out, he is managing with everything stored on the second floor until the elevator is operational again. “It’ll be awhile before the power is back. They’re working on it. It’s kind of miserable with no air conditioning, but at least the weather hasn’t been too bad — in the 70s and 80s with a slight breeze,” he noted.He also expressed relief that his car, parked in Bradenton on higher ground, remained safe, as he was able to retrieve it the next day with the help of his brother-in-law. Fulford mentioned that despite fears of a 10-foot storm surge, the area experienced none, stating, “We didn’t get any storm surge though, none at all. It never even came over the bulkhead.”While he cleaned and reorganized his garage, he acknowledged his wife’s nervousness about storms. However, he remained fascinated by the power of nature, saying, “The house never shook. The windows didn’t rattle. It’s kind of exciting to me to see what Mother Nature.
Being there gives you a sense of control, especially when things start going wrong, like with your sliding doors.It’s really tough to hear about the devastation in the area, especially with the trailer park losing so many roofs and the power situation in Bradenton. A lot of people are really struggling right now. It’s definitely a personal choice to stay and deal with things directly; knowing what’s happening can make a huge difference in how you feel about the situation.
