(WXYZ) — Hurricane Ian is expected to make landfall as a category 4 storm in Florida Wednesday and its impact is being felt right here in metro Detroit.
Millions of Floridians are being urged to evacuate as emergency crews prepare to assist with restoration efforts and many are trying to find refuge in the state of Michigan.
"There are a lot of Michigan transplants down here in Florida who might not know what to do but I hope they all stay safe and found a place to go."
Kelly Smith who is originally from Farmington is now living in Ft. Myers. She says she's been receiving a string of alarming texts to leave her home.
"It is your own choice to evacuate but the news is really stressing to go somewhere safe," she said.
Safe for Sharon Theut and her husband is Michigan. The couple traveled by car to mitten state as Hurricane Ian continued to move towards their home. For them, this is a new experience.
"We've only had a place down there for 2 years so this was a first for us," the couple said.
But while others are trying to escape the storm's impact, emergency crews in Michigan are gearing up to head south.
EMS teams at Richmond Lenox have been loading up their paramedic unit for Orlando. DTE Energy says they have already agreed to release 250 linemen to help restore power after the storm hits.
"It's almost the same as preparing for a major winter storm," Nick Majkowski of Macomb County said.
Majkowski currently lives in Tampa and says his hurricane shutters are up and he plans on staying home.
"We got our food supply and water supply and we're just going to hunker down and hope for the best," he said.
