- The Kolz family, who relocated to Middleton, Florida, in July, has already faced Hurricanes Debbie, Helene, and the looming Hurricane Milton.
- Their new home is built to withstand 180 mph winds, and Dave Kolz, a retired fire chief, believes it's safer to stay put than risk the dangers of evacuation.
- Despite the stress, the Kolzes have found solace in their new community, receiving help from neighbors and support from loved ones back in Wisconsin.
Imagine relocating to Florida, hoping for sunshine, only to be met with three hurricanes in just three months. That's the reality for one Green Bay family who's now riding out yet another storm.
Dave Kolz, who recently retired from the Green Bay Metro Fire Department, made the move to Middleton, Florida, with his family in July. They were excited for a fresh start, but Florida's hurricane season had other plans.
Kim Kolz expressed, "We never imagined having three hurricanes within the first three months that we've been here."
Their new home—just over an hour from Tampa—is built tough, rated for 180-mile-per-hour winds. With his background in emergency management, Dave says staying put during the storms made sense. "I'm not going to put our dog and all four of us in a car and try to go four hours away. And who knows what you're going to run into—traffic, flash floods, debris, accidents."
Hurricanes Debbie, Helene, and now Milton have kept the family on high alert. While the first two storms passed without much damage, Hurricane Milton had them on edge. “I was concerned about this one,” Dave admitted. “I followed it really close, and my understanding was this thing was going to take a little bit of a turn to the south, and that's exactly what it did."
Despite the stress, the family has found comfort in their new community, and back home in Green Bay, friends and family are sending plenty of support from afar. Kim noted, “It's been really nice to hear from everybody at home. It's just like a big hug from all of our friends and family that we miss so much.”
Dave, who’s already back to working with a local fire department in Florida, is ready to jump into action once the storm clears. “On Friday, we'll go back in response mode and do what we always do, whether I'm cleaning up debris in Green Bay, Wisconsin, or Florida. It’s really the same, right? You're trying to get people back to normal daily life.”
For now, the Kolz family is hunkering down with plenty of supplies to ride out the storm and staying connected with loved ones through social media.
