Hurricane Milton: Wisconsin crews headed down south to help
CEDARBURG, Wis. - As thousands are evacuating ahead of Hurricane Milton, some are hunkering down.
Marquette University graduate and Tampa resident Valerie Wilson Reed and her family are bracing for it.
"I’m feeling anxious. However, we’ve done everything to prepare for this," Wilson Reed said. "It’s a once and a lifetime event, but we’re ready."
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The Marquette grad has a home in Brookfield, but lives mostly in Tampa. She's a native of the Florida city, but has never been through anything like this.
Valerie Wilson Reed and family
"We’re all looking out for each other, and we’re going to get through the storm," she said.
Wilson Reed will be staying in a condo on the 17th floor of a highrise, along with her husband and 94-year-old mother. She said much of the building will be sticking around, ready for whatever might happen.
Hurricane Milton: Milwaukee airport flights arrive from Florida
As Hurricane Milton heads toward Tampa, time is of the essence as millions of people evacuate. Some travelers are headed to Wisconsin.
"We’re in a very sturdy building. It has a generator, backup generator," Wilson Reed said.
As Wilson Reed hunkers down, two workers from Cedarburg Light & Water Utility will be headed down there, ready to help rebuild after the storm.
Nick Feucht and Brad Klos are journeyman linemen.
"It’s exciting to get some boots on the ground and helping these people," Feucht said.
They will be joining utility workers from 23 other Wisconsin communities helping to rebuild in Kissimmee, Fla. Their truck is stocked up with needed tools and safety is at the top of the mind.
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"People in this career are willing to jump up and go and come from 12,000 miles away," Klos said.
The storm is set to impact many who are on edge as it gets closer.
HURRICANE MILTON: Keep tabs on FOX6's latest hurricane and weather coverage
"We’re strong, and we’re going to get through this," Wilson Reed said.
Wisconsin is one of 16 states sending utility workers to support rebuilding and recovery. This will be the first time men from Cedarburg Light & Water Utility will be rebuilding after a hurricane.