Nashville is becoming a destination for some Florida residents fleeing Hurricane Irma – like Javier Santana.
Santana has lived in Coral Gables for the last 40 years, but he says he’s never seen a storm like this one.
“This is the biggest one ever recorded, so everybody’s trying to get away,” he says.
Like dozens of others waiting around the baggage claim at Nashville International Airport, Santana is relieved to be out of the storm’s way. He has a wedding to attend here this weekend, and driving wasn’t an option.
“Usually, it takes you, from Miami to Orlando, about 3 hours,” he says. “It’s taking everybody 8 hours to get there.”
Another South Florida resident, Angela Rust, is waiting out the storm with family who live in town. Rust says her daughter is watching after her home, but she’s not concerned.
“I’m not worried because we live in some of the houses that are, like, “old-timey” houses, that are well built,” she says. “They say they’re a fortress.”
Rust arrived in Nashville on time, but a number of flights from Miami and Fort Lauderdale are already facing delays, and cancellations are expected.
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