Mom-of-6 breaks down as she reveals family couldn't afford to evacuate amid Hurricane Milton warning

With the arrival of Hurricane Milton, the air is filled with an obvious sense of urgency for Floridians this year. Its monstrous tornadoes, brutal rains and inevitable flooding called for evacuation not just as a precaution but also as a vital necessity for safety. As nature's fury is pushing many people out of their homes, not everyone can deal with it effortlessly by simply driving out of the city, especially those in high-risk regions. Fitness coach and motherhood influencer "Mama Moss of 6"–who goes by @mamamossof6 on TikTok–was one of those unfortunate ones to be stuck in a perilous area, venting out her situation. 

Being a resident of Fort Myers in SouthWest Florida, deemed as the "Evacuation Zone A," Moss was absolutely clueless as to how to proceed with the evacuation. With 6 kids, 4 dogs and 3 adults to be evacuated, she felt helpless. "Everything is booked. There's nowhere to go unless you're hopping on a plane and evacuating your family. Where is everybody going? I can't go North. Everything's booked," she worriedly said. The most important part was that she couldn't afford an Airbnb and the thought of taking her family and dogs to a shelter terrified her. With insane traffic and fully booked hotels, Moss felt like she and her family were just "sitting ducks." 

The viral video garnered nearly 10 million views in 3 days and people sympathized with the family's situation. "This. People wonder why people don't evacuate. Shit costs MONEY. People can't afford it, especially with kids. Everything's full, roads are full. It's just horrible. Prayers," said @_naynayb_. "We are literally stuck. The places we normally evacuate to are full and the roads are already packed. We risk getting stuck on the road trying to leave," added @krystin71486. However, several others urged Moss to simply leave the city. "Girl, just get in your car and go. Even just sleeping in your car to stay alive is worth it. Drive north, however long, to be safe," suggested @brittfishburn. "We were in the same situation and we bought two 10-person tents for less than $150 and drove until we were in a 100% safe zone and camped," chimed in @reesa_da_adventurous.

With many being concerned about her safety, Moss made a follow-up video explaining more about her situation. For those who criticized her for not evacuating because of her "pride or ego," the mom explained that she wasn't ready to take strangers' money without knowing where she was going. So, the mom asked the judgemental people to stay out of her comments and gave them a reality check of what Floridians were going through. Having been in Fort Myers for over 30 years and even surviving Hurricane Ian from their home, Moss hoped to reach out to friends for help because getting in the car and driving far away was risky enough.

However, considering the fact that it would take weeks for her family to get back on their feet, Moss agreed to receive monetary help. In her latest update, Moss pointed out that she managed to evacuate her family to a safe house in Cape Coral, which was labeled "Evacuation Zone D." Compared to the hurricane's severity in Fort Myers, this safe house, though in a risky area, seemed to be the safest choice for the family. The house was surrounded by shutters and despite a canal running nearby, the residents were safe as the water wouldn't rise above 4 feet. 

You can follow Mama Moss of 6 (@mamamossof6) on TikTok for more Hurricane Milton updates.

This is a developing story, and we’ll update you as we learn more. Information about Hurricane Milton is swiftly changing, and Upworthy is committed to providing the most recent and verified updates in our articles and reportage. However, considering the frequency in developments, some of the information/data in this article may have changed since the time of publication. You can get official alerts and updates on Hurricane Milton from the National Hurricane Center.