Connecticut

Florida Property Owners Concerned About Dorian's Potential Impact

With Hurricane Dorian seemingly headed toward Florida, property owners who spend winter months there are concerned.

Lucille Riley of Broadbrook, has a winter home in Naples, and although there’s no guarantee Dorian will reach Florida’s Gulf Coast, she’s concerned.

“I’m nervous,” she says, “I’m a nervous type person so I watch the news and I worry.”

The Rileys have owned their Florida home for 22 years, and have weathered major hurricanes in the past. Still, trying to keep tabs on what’s happening over 1,000 miles from home is difficult.

“I mean the last storm we’d go to bed at midnight watching the news and then first thing in the morning get up and watch the news, wondering if our place was still there,” she says.

Floridians visiting Connecticut are also concerned about their property.

When Hurricane Irma swept through Florida in 2017, Emily Billafane says her Florida home was without electricity and water for 10 days. Now, as she visits family in Connecticut, that memory is strong and her thoughts focus on what could happen back home.

“We saw only the outskirts of Irma. This time around it’s going directly to us so we are very worried about that,” said Billafane who flew into Bradley International Airport Friday morning.

Aside from her Miami Lakes, Florida home, Billafane is also concerned about her three horses.

“I saw with Irma how many (horses) got hurt because they were outside and things flew in and out,” she said also pointing out the scarcity of food following Irma.

Jose Quevedo flew into Connecticut Friday for a family reunion. His thoughts are on his Florida business. He says it took six hours to board and shutter his large retail store.

“Yes I am nervous. I’m not gonna lie to you. I am concerned,” said Quevedo.

Rebecca Weiss is originally from Bristol and arrived in Connecticut to visit family. She now resides in Florida and after living there six years, knew what to do before leaving home.

“We hunkered down the pool deck stuff and took everything off the porch and that’s really all you can do,” said Weiss.

While flights into Bradley from Florida were prevalent Friday that could change. The Orlando airport issued an advisory saying it plans to cease all commercial flights out of Orlando on Monday, September 2 at 2 a.m.

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