By JADE RUSSELL 

and KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporters

SHORTAGES of toilet paper, empty grocery shelves, long gas station lines, and growing panic are confronting Bahamians in Florida as Hurricane Milton approaches as a giant storm.

Many are bracing for what could be a catastrophic hit, with wide sections of the Tampa Bay area under evacuation orders after the hurricane intensified into a category five storm.

Felicity Clarke, 37, who has lived in Cocoa, Brevard County, Florida, for three years since moving from The Bahamas, described a city in chaos yesterday. She waited six hours in line at a designated site where sandbags were distributed, with traffic stretching for miles. She had to ask a police officer at one point if she could leave her car to use a restroom because she “couldn’t take it anymore.”

Some residents are still shaken from the recent passage of Hurricane Helene, and news of Hurricane Milton has sent many into a frenzy. Ms Clarke has stocked her home with food, water, and hurricane shutters to ensure her and her daughter’s safety, though she said there is still a 50 percent chance they will fly out of Florida.

“I am a little nervous,” she said. “I was thinking about just getting out of here and probably flying up to Tennessee. I don’t even want to drive anywhere.”

Jane Garcia, 51, a schoolteacher in Brevard County, said she plans to wait out the hurricane with her family. Living in Florida for 24 years, Mrs Garcia said her house has experienced flooding due to its low elevation. She has stocked up on 60 days’ worth of food and prepared a hurricane bin but noted a toilet paper shortage in stores.

“For some reason, everyone bought out all the toilet tissue,” she said. “I don’t understand why people panic so much about toilet tissue.”

She added that the US port strike had impacted grocery stores, with her daughter finding empty shelves at several locations. Gas stations are also chaotic, with some running out of fuel.

“There are red tags on tanks, and police officers are controlling the craziness because people are just acting crazy,” she said. “But our tank is full, so we’re not affected.”

Despite her family’s preparations, Mrs Garcia is still worried about the damage Hurricane Milton could cause. She recalled evacuating to a shelter during Hurricane Charlie several years ago.

Another resident, Alexia, who has lived in Melbourne for five years, said she has been preparing for the storm since last week. Originally from The Bahamas, the experience of preparing for hurricanes feels familiar in Florida for her.

A state of emergency has been declared for much of Florida ahead of Hurricane Milton’s expected landfall tomorrow. Bahamasair is offering discounted flights for Bahamians evacuating central Florida, with pre-existing ticket holders able to change their travel plans without penalty.

Consul General of The Bahamas in Miami, Curt Hollingsworth, said the Bahamian Consulate has “ramped up” coordination efforts between The Bahamas and Florida authorities. He added that the consulate will help with travel documents for Bahamians in need and will maintain a list of nationals in the area to provide updates.

Meanwhile, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) announced that all personnel leave has been cancelled, except for those on secondment, sick leave, special leave, compassionate leave, international study leave, administrative leave, or pre-retirement leave. Personnel at Coral Harbour Base must report for duty today at 8.40 am. The Harbour Patrol Unit, Port Security, Air Wing Unit, and Military Police & Force Protection Unit must report to their respective posts.

The Disaster Risk Management Authority also issued a public advisory on Sunday, urging residents in the north and northwest Bahamas, including Grand Bahama and Abaco, to prepare for Hurricane Milton.

Jeffrey Simmons, acting director of the Bahamas Department of Meteorology, said yesterday that Hurricane Milton is unlikely to directly affect The Bahamas, with the impact expected mainly in central and northern Florida.

Mr Simmons said yesterday’s rain and choppy conditions in parts of the country were caused by a different system.

“This is one of those systems we call easy to predict, so we are fairly confident that it will stay on this projected path and impact central northern Florida between Wednesday night and Thursday morning,” he said.

Yesterday, the Ministry of Education and Technical and Vocational Training also announced the closure of schools in Grand Bahama, Abaco, Bimini, and Grand Cay for face-to-face instruction today and tomorrow due to adverse weather conditions from Hurricane Milton. Staff and students in these areas are urged to complete their preparations ahead of the storm.