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Stranded hurricane victims find refuge, generosity in Cherokee County

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Published  October 10, 2024 10:50pm EDT
Cherokee County
FOX 5 Atlanta

Evacuated couple get much-needed help in Georgia

They evacuated from Florida as Hurricane Milton barreled down on the state and sought refuge in north Georgia. However, their stay was almost cut short if not for the kindness of a fellow camper.

The Brief

    • As Hurricane Milton approached, residents, including Dawn and Dan Ell, evacuated to Victoria Campground in Cherokee County.
    • The Ell family received photographic updates of their Clearwater home's condition, noting the potential destruction that was avoided.
    • Despite feeling helpless while monitoring the hurricane updates from afar, Dawn and Dan found relief that their home was still intact.
    • Initially faced with the challenge of finding accommodation due to fully booked campsites, the Ells experienced the generosity of strangers.
    • FOX 5 viewer Scarlett Woods, followed by others, donated their Victoria Campground reservations to the Ells and other displaced individuals.

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. - As Hurricane Milton headed to Florida, residents packed up and headed north. Many ended up at Victoria Campground in Cherokee County.  

Now they are trying to get information on the damage left behind and feeling the kindness of strangers. 

Family members sent Dawn and Dan Ell photos of their home in Clearwater after Milton hit.  

"There's our carport, that's where we park our camper and, as you can see, if our camper was there, it would have destroyed our 6-week-old camper," said Dawn Ell. 

Still, they felt some relief. Their home is still standing. They know it could have been so much worse.  

"Yeah, we did good really when you think about it," said Dan Ell.  

They say it was a rough night as they tried to get updates on the storm from their camping spot hundreds of miles away.  

"You're glued to the TV but you're helpless, you can't do anything about it, that's Mother Nature. You can't mess around with Mother Nature," said Dawn.  

They don't want to go back to Florida right away. It will take some time to restore power to the area and the roads will be filled with debris.  

But they had nowhere to stay. Victoria Campground was already booked for the weekend.  

That's when they felt the kindness of a stranger. A FOX 5 viewer, Scarlett Woods, saw Dawn and Dan's story Wednesday night and decided to give them her campground reservation.  

"She said no problem. I'm just hoping someone else will want to donate their campsite to a refugee," said Dawn.  

That's exactly what happened.  

"We actually had people call in and say I decided I'm not going to come this weekend. Can I cancel and give it to one of the folks who are stranded?" said Misty Blackwell with the Victoria Campground.  

Blackwell says she knew there were many people staying at the campground who were escaping the storms in Florida and North Carolina. She says she's not surprised others wanted to help them.  

"Folks are really great. It's just awesome," said Blackwell.  

The Source

  • FOX 5 Atlanta original reporting