Hurricane chaser in Florida says Milton prompted 'race' for residents to evacuate

Storm chaser Mike Boylan of Mike's Weather Page has been following extreme weather since 2020, traveling to six different states to do so.

His latest chase, Hurricane Milton, hits close to his heart as he is a Florida native.

Boylan told Fox News Digital in an on-camera interview, "To me, it’s sad. You get kind of numb to the idea of living here that it can't happen. And Helene was a rude wake-up call. Maybe that really got people fired up in a weird way." (See the video at the top of this article.) 

HURRICANE MILTON EVACUATIONS IN FLORIDA: WHAT TO PACK AHEAD OF THE STORM

He is currently in the Tampa Bay region, in Oldsmar, and said Hurricane Helene recently devastated the area.

And Milton may be worse.

Mike Boylan of Mike's Weather Page has traveled to six different states tracking storms. (Fox News Digital)

"I’ve got a debris pile behind me just littered with debris for miles and miles and miles. And it's the same scene up and down all of the Tampa Bay region," he said. 

"This is one story of many, of course, that's unfolding. And it's just sad for these folks — they lost everything. Now they're dealing with possibly a higher storm surge," he said.

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On Monday, Hurricane Milton strengthened from a Category 1 hurricane to a Category 5 hurricane with winds predicted to reach 180 mph, FOX Weather reported.

The National Hurricane Center has warned that Milton poses an "extremely serious threat" to Florida with life-threatening impacts.

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Boylan said he's noticing an increase in traffic on roads as people rush to evacuate the Sunshine State.

"I sense a little panic, a race. Because the storms will be here tomorrow [Wednesday] night. A lot of plywood and trucks. A lot of people [are] still evacuating, boarding up — [a] familiar sight living in Florida," said Boylan.

Residents should listen to officials and leave zones where evacuations have been mandated, storm chaser Boylan said. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)

He said residents should listen to officials and leave zones where evacuations have been mandated.

"Being a Floridian — Floridians are stubborn, some of us. Seeing now I was just up there for Helene and seeing ground zero up there, what we got here with a storm 100 miles away — the surge in our area, tens of thousands of homes are flooded right now in our Tampa Bay region."

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"Now, you add to that, you take it seriously. I mean, you can't run. Most hurricane deaths are water related. And now we've got a flood risk that's inland with this rainfall. And then we got a surge," said Boylan.

Boylan traveled to Texas to cover Hurricane Beryl (pictured here) and said it was the second-worst hurricane he's ever tracked. (Mike's Weather Page)

Boylan said he feels Milton "in the air," sharing that the heat is a sign that he experienced during Hurricane Ian in 2022 and in other storms.

He said the worst hurricane he's tracked was Ian, with Beryl in Texas being the second worst, as a Category 1 storm.

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"Now that it's my turf, it's different. When I storm-chase in Louisiana, there's a one-way road, and it’s in and out. I don't know where the heck I'm going," said Boylan. 

Now, however, "this is my turf," he said. "So, I've lived for this moment."