Chicago-area organizations gear up to help areas slammed by Hurricane Milton

After 20 years in Tampa, Ronald LaRiviere knows what it’s like to face storms like the swirling behemoth currently crawling toward Florida.

As powerful Hurricane Milton approaches, he’s boarded up windows, doors and tied down loose objects at his home near the north edge of the city. LaRiviere, who grew up in the Sunshine State, went through the same process during Hurricane Irma in 2017.

His history with big storms is helping him stay calm as he prepares to ride out the potentially dangerous winds at his home. “Over the years growing up in Florida I’ve seen a lot of storms pass through, so I’ve had the experience,” said LaRiviere, who lives outside the mandatory evacuation zones.

The 59-year-old is among the many people with ties to the Chicago area who are preparing ahead of Hurricane Milton’s expected landfall Wednesday night in the Tampa Bay area. And Chicago companies and organizations are preparing to assist with the aftermath of what could be a devastating storm.

After weakening slightly, Milton regained strength Tuesday afternoon and became a Category 5 storm again, with winds of 165 mph. The 11 Florida counties under mandatory evacuation orders are home to about 5.9 million people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Milton could be the first hurricane to hit Tampa Bay directly since 1921. Local officials have warned about possible 15-foot storm surges, the level at which sea water rises above its normal level, that could swallow homes along flood-risk areas. They’ve urged anyone in those zones to heed warnings and evacuate.

Another risk factor is the debris left behind by Hurricane Helene last month. State and local governments are moving as quickly as they can to remove downed tree limbs, furniture, appliances and other debris left in huge piles after Helene. But they won’t get rid of all of it. Authorities are concerned that Milton’s wind and surge could turn debris into deadly projectiles.

LaRiviere, who is the uncle of Sun-Times photographer Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere, lives in an area deemed low risk for flooding, so he’s comfortable weathering the storm at his home. That’s what he did with Irma, which made landfall as a Category 3 storm, and he said there was only minor exterior damage to deal with when it passed through.

“I’ll be in a safe room that is far away from windows and just wait for the storm to pass,” he said.

Tim Herr, who lives in northwest Indiana but owns a home in Estero, just south of Fort Myers along the edge of Milton’s predicted path, said he’ll be able to tap in to his home’s security cameras over the web to monitor any damage. As long as the power doesn’t go out.

As he and his wife can’t be there in person they are relying on neighbors to help get their home ready for Milton, he said.

“There’s been a lot of communication with people in the neighborhood,” he said. “The neighbors that are there currently go over there and look around and make sure there’s not anything that needs to be picked up or anything.”

Herr said his home was built in 2020 to withstand powerful hurricanes, and he lives in a low-flood risk zone, so he’s mostly worried about flying debris crashing through his windows.

Meanwhile, Chicago-area companies such as ComEd are preparing to help with the storm’s aftermath. ComEd is sending 60 employees and support staff to Tampa on Wednesday morning, a spokesperson said. Nearly 200 employees that are currently assisting with restoration in Georgia and South Carolina after Helene will be redeployed to Florida when they become available.

Philanthropist Early Walker, owner of W&W Towing, sent trucks to Florida from Chicago last week to help with cleanup efforts after Helene in partnership with Vehicle Management Solutions. As Milton formed in the last few days the 50 trucks and their drivers were directed to stay near the Tampa Bay area to assist authorities after Milton.

“Our goal is to help and assist wherever we can from a community standpoint as well, whether that’s getting water or helping individuals with whatever we can on our end,” Walker said.

Pet rescue nonprofit PAWS Chicago said it’s preparing to field calls for help from animal shelters in the Tampa area as they continue to assist shelters and pet owners affected by Helene.

Volunteers with the group are driving to Tennessee on Wednesday to deliver pet supplies, food, water and cleaning supplies. They plan to travel afterward to Georgia, the Carolinas and Florida. The group will also make room to bring back any animals who were already in shelters to accommodate an expected influx of pets at shelters around the impacted areas.

The American Red Cross also has scheduled blood drives throughout the Chicago area to help restock blood products in the areas hit by the hurricanes.

Contributing: AP