Florida residents arriving in Georgia ahead of Hurricane Milton

TURNER COUNTY, Ga. - Traffic on Interstate 75 northbound in Georgia has been heavy throughout Tuesday as Floridians evacuate ahead of Hurricane Milton.

Many vehicles heading north display Florida license plates, and officials in Florida have stated that this mass evacuation could be the largest since 2017.

At a rest stop in Turner County, the scene has been hectic, with the area packed since around 10 a.m. As evacuees flee the storm, Georgia is becoming a key destination for safety.

Hurricane Milton Florida: Running out of gas, mass evacuations

Florida is bracing for Hurricane Milton to make landfall on Wednesday. Many residents have reported gas stations running out of gas as evacuations have been ordered for the Tampa Bay area.

FOX 5 Atlanta's Tyler Fingert spoke with several drivers, many of whom described chaotic journeys due to the congestion. One woman from the Tampa area shared that she left at 2:30 a.m., only to be met with traffic that extended her drive by an hour.

"The drive was terrible. It was awful. It was all night, it was…it was insanity," said Tampa resident, Michael Piccione.

Piccione, like many Florida residents getting out of the state, ran into bumper-to-bumper traffic.

"We left Tampa at about 6 p.m., and we ended up in Valdosta about, what, 3 a.m., 4 in the morning," Piccione said.

Florida residents heading to GA ahead of hurricane

FOX 5 Atlanta caught up with a couple of Florida residents at a rest stop in Georgia who evacuated ahead of Hurricane Milton.

Forecasters say the hurricane could be the strongest one to hit Tampa Bay in more than a century.

"I don't normally freak out over a hurricane, but this one did scare me," said Maryann Carlton, who lives in the Tampa Bay area.

Tampa residents made the nearly 300-mile journey to the Turner County rest stop, but some, like Fort Myers resident Nancy Paris, drove an additional 120 miles to make it there.

"I don't feel comfortable after Ian and we have hurricane windows, so I sign on. So, I'm kind of like, I don't want to see it again," said Paris.

Rest stops up and down Georgia highways were packed Tuesday. Many brought their pets with them. Tanner Sadler’s family is among those who left the storm zone.

"You can replace things and property as disastrous as it is, but replacing people is impossible. So, we'd rather keep our family safe than have a vacation," said Sadler, who cut their Florida vacation short.

The evacuation is further complicated by damage left behind by Hurricane Helene just two weeks ago. Georgia officials are advising evacuees to avoid south Georgia and instead seek shelter in places like Albany, Columbus, Macon, and Atlanta. Some are even traveling as far as Michigan and Tennessee to find refuge with family, as hotels in Georgia are filling up quickly.

"The stress that's off of me right now is worth it," Carlton said.

The Georgia Department of Transportation says "Georgia’s interstates are seeing significant upticks in traffic volume - as much as four times higher than historical averages. As of 8 a.m. Tuesday morning, volumes on I-75 northbound were 280 percent higher than normal between the Georgia-Florida state line and Macon. And on I-95 northbound between the Georgia-Florida state line and I-16, volumes were 89 percent higher than normal. In spite of significantly higher volumes, speeds on both highways were reported as normal. Volumes were even higher Monday evening on both interstates, with an increase on I-75 northbound of 342 percent above normal, and 264 percent above normal on I-95 northbound."