Bromsgrove couple riding out Hurricane Milton in Orlando hotel bathroom

Melissa Rutter, and her partner Dan, have been speaking to us about how they prepared.

Author: Hannah RichardsonPublished 10th Oct 2024

A couple from Bromsgrove say they've been prepared with "glow sticks" and "will take shelter in the bathroom" as they ride out Hurricane Milton in their Orlando hotel.

Melissa Rutter, and her partner Dan, were originally in Sarasota before making the journey to Orlando after the announcement of Hurricane Milton.

The category four storm has been predicted to be the worst storm to hit the state in a century.

Millions were told to evacuate - with President Biden had called it a "life and death" situation.

Attractions like Disney world have been forced to shut, with flights cancelled and Orlando airport closed.

Melissa and Dan have been telling us how before the hurricane arrived, "everybody was quiet" and that they were able to stock up on more water and supplies.

Dan said: "Nobody's really saying that much. Most of the shops are closing up, to give people time to go home and prepare."

Videos circulating online have shown shelves empty, highways packed and petrol stations out of gas.

Melissa has been telling us the journey to the hotel wasn't easy, she said: "They told us they had no rooms for us, so we were struggling to find somewhere to go.

"Luckily our travel agent, Maureen, she sorted it out and managed to let us stay here, so that was a bit of anxiety that we had."

The couple are hoping to fly home on Monday, depending on the damage that has been caused.

First for all the latest news from across the UK every hour on Hits Radio on DAB, at hitsradio.co.uk and on the Rayo app.