A Florida family that runs a farm in the state has brought a burrito inside their room to protect it from hurricane-force winds when Milton passes by.
Rick Bass and Sara Weldon of Clermont, between Tampa and Orlando, feared the moment the hurricane would devastate their farm and had been posting apprehensive videos in the days before it made landfall on Wednesday.
Sarah posted several tearful TikTok videos on Our simple farm account that has almost 400,000 followers in which she shares her love for her animals, at the same time that she seems desperate for not knowing what to do.
“I alternate between feeling calm and then crying for my animals,” Sara said. ‘We are in the direct path of where this hurricane is supposed to arrive. …We are not going to evacuate. And please don’t ask me.
A Florida couple who run a farm between Tampa and Orlando brought a young donkey into their room to protect it from Hurricane Milton.
Cash the colt was described as a “calming presence” when he was welcomed into the family home.
“All these animals are our children,” she said, tears streaming down her cheeks.
She and her husband were particularly concerned that the barn the donkey normally resides in would collapse after being torn apart by the 120 mph winds.
Although the advice is usually to leave animals outdoors, the family was especially worried because the hurricane would make landfall in the middle of the night.
Over the course of Wednesday night, users demanded updates from the couple on the animals’ well-being.
The donkey, named Cash, could be seen resting his head on Rick’s knee.
The furry animal could later be seen in the couple’s beautifully decorated bedroom, resting on the hardwood floor alongside several family dogs.
Cash the donkey found a comfortable spot on the bedroom floor. Sara can be seen in bed.
The couple’s dogs were also brought into the bedroom to weather the fierce storm.
They also took about 20 chickens inside the family home, although not into the bedroom.
Rick described having the donkey inside the house as a calming presence, as he anxiously watched terrifying video footage of the fierce winds as the hurricane made landfall on the coast.
The animals were completely oblivious to the storm that threatened their lives outside.
The couple also posted a video of some chicks that likely would not have survived the devastating winds if they had been left outside.
Sara says she was touched by the outpouring of support and went on to thank her followers for praying for the family and their farm.
‘We have received a lot of love from all over the world: offers from farms to take the animals and, most importantly, we have a whole world praying for the protection of our farm.
The desperation on Sara Weldon’s face was evident as she struggled with her decision.
Rick Bass described Cash’s presence in the house as particularly calming.
‘I alternate between feeling calm and then crying for my animals. When I say goodnight to you tonight, I have no idea if I will see you again; “It’s an unbearable, heavy thought,” Sarah said.
The couple look after more than 100 animals, including 10 donkeys, nine Highland cows, four goats and more than a hundred chickens.
“We’ve been through other hurricanes, but never in the direct path like we are through this one,” Sara said.
‘To evacuate all our animals it would take a miracle, so we will stay with them. They are our children and we want to stay. “At the moment we are in a voluntary evacuation zone and we are not near any body of water,” he continued.
‘We have stocked up on gas and propane, we have filled the bathtubs and we have received a lot of food and water. We stocked up on food for the animals, made sure the fences were tight, and gave them all the love and prayers we could.”