Floridians on Hurricane Ian: 'This one felt different'
TAMPA, Fl. (KXAN) -- Madison Seuzeneau was among the first told to evacuate as Hurricane Ian approached Florida.
"I grew up in Tampa and we've had so many tropical storms and we've always kind of laughed them off but this one felt different, it felt strange," she said.
The storm changed course, sparing her - and Maxwell Smith in St. Petersburg from the brunt of it.
"It was a near miss but, especially the volleyball community which I'm part of, is really tightly knit and we know people all over the coast," Smith said. "And we know some of them are getting hit pretty hard right now."
There's no denying this storm is a monster.
"Seeing Fort Meyers and how bad it is, it's so scary," said Seuzeneau.
Groups in Central Texas are mobilizing to help.
Four regional Red Cross volunteers are already there, and volunteers with the Southern Baptist of Texas Convention is heading out Thursday morning with a mobile kitchen.
"We set it up, we bring in food trucks. We cook it and Red Cross will deliver it," said Mike Northen, who's leading the group departing from First Baptist Church in Pflugerville Thursday.
The Austin Disaster Relief Network doesn't have any volunteers on the way to the hurricane zone yet, but they are on standby if the need arises.