Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield, his wife Emily and their daughter were successfully evacuated as Hurricane Helene battered Florida’s Gulf Coast.
“Words cannot accurately describe my heartbreak for everyone affected by Hurricane Helene,” Emily wrote on social media. “You see these things on TV, but until you live them, you can’t fully understand the terror associated with the unknown.
“Baker, Koko, Fergus and I were evacuated yesterday and we are safe,” Emily continued, mentioning her husband, young daughter and dog, respectively. ‘Our sweet, sweet community was hit, but even that doesn’t compare to the people up North who braved this storm. It is unfathomable.
‘I am so grateful to God for protecting us – and our home – and I am praying non-stop for everyone facing the aftermath of the storm, the surge, the damage, the loss. It’s time to come together and help each other. I have faith in this community.’
Emily ended her message by looking for ways she can help Tampa and the surrounding communities.
Emily Wilkinson (L) and Baker Mayfield attend the 13th Annual NFL Honors Ceremony
Baker Mayfield’s wife Emily is looking for ways to help the Tampa Bay area after Helene
Jamir Lewis walks through floodwaters with his two daughters, Nylah and Aria, after Hurricane Helene on Friday.
“I’m looking for ways to get out and help in a tangible way,” he wrote. “Please send me anything you find and I’ll share the good ones.”
Mayfield and the Bucs (2-1) host the Philadelphia Eagles (2-1) on Sunday. The match is expected to be played as planned.
Hurricane Helene left a massive trail of destruction across Florida and the southeastern United States on Friday, killing at least 44 people, snapping towering oak trees like twigs and destroying homes as rescue teams launched desperate missions to save people from the storms. floods.
In Tampa, some areas could only be reached by boat.
Authorities urged trapped people to call rescuers and not step into flood waters, warning that they can be dangerous due to live wires, sewage, sharp objects and other debris.
More than 3 million homes and businesses were without power in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas as of Friday night, according to poweroutage.us. The site also showed outages in places as far north as Ohio and Indiana due to Helene’s rapid northward movement throughout the day.