MILWAUKEE — It was a race against the clock Tuesday for Wisconsinites to fly out of Tampa and back to Milwaukee in time before the airports closed and Hurricane Ian makes landfall.
"I was nervous. I didn't think I was going to make it," said Royale Eichelberger, a Milwaukee native who currently lives in Tampa.
Eichelberger is thankful to be back home. She was on one of the last flights coming to Milwaukee from Tampa's International Airport before it closed in preparation for Hurricane Ian.
"It was tough getting a flight. All the flights were very expensive, $800 up to $2,000," said Eichelberger.
Eichelberger has lived in Tampa for the past four years. But once she learned about the threat Hurricane Ian posed, she decided it was best to come home and wait out the storm with her family.
"I am in an apartment, I'm in a two-story, so I'm at the top, but I was still nervous with the wind and the rain and the debris," said Eichelberger. "I took some important documentation, some important papers and stuff like that but I just kind of took pictures of everything and left everything as is and just kind of hoping for the best."
Tuesday's flight was also full of Green Bay Packers fans who flew to Tampa for Sunday's game against the Buccaneers. Scott Berendt was one of those fans who was also visiting his mom. But he quickly learned his trip would be cut short.
"They allowed us to move our flight so we went from Wednesday to today," said Berendt. "I sent mom to a good safe house made out of concrete. We had a lot of anxiety, and a couple of sleepless nights."
And until Hurricane Ian makes landfall, all travelers can do is wait and hope everyone stays safe.
