Hurricane Milton hits home for Floridian students, jeopardizes fall break travel

Hurricane Milton struck Florida at around 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9, killing at least seven people and leaving millions of residents without power. Over a thousand miles away in Princeton, students who call the Sunshine State home have had to navigate travel delays and cancellations while coping with worries about family and friends’ safety.

Amrit Vignesh ’28 hails from Orlando, Fla. According to Vignesh, his flight back to Orlando from Newark on Friday, Oct. 11 was canceled. “I don’t know what I’m going to do now,” he said.

While the Orlando International Airport closed on Wednesday, some arrivals resumed the evening of Thursday, Oct. 10 and all operations are expected to be restored as of Friday, Oct. 11, according to its website.

“It seems a lot [of flights] got canceled or delayed,” Vignesh continued, adding that students traveling to Florida “are likely waiting or just staying here for fall break.” 

Vignesh is a Sports contributor for The Daily Princetonian.

Other students have cited the hurricane as exacerbating stress during midterms week. Julia Felice ’26 is from Lakewood, Fla. As the hurricane progressed, Felice said she became preoccupied with checking in with relatives and acquaintances. 

“It was definitely a distraction from studying,” Felice said. “I was definitely on Instagram and checking the news, talking to my family, [and] FaceTiming them last night, which is when the hurricane rolled in. I was reaching out to even my grandparents and uncle, who I don’t reach out to that much.” 

“I think a lot of people were more nervous this time than usual,” Felice added. “Usually, I’m not too worried about hurricanes and such … but this time, even my mood was different.”

Thomas Danz ’26, who is from Venice, Fla., also spoke to the ‘Prince’ on the emotional impact that Hurricane Milton had on him. “There were some videos that I did see of one of the routes that I used to drive to high school. It was underwater … so seeing that, [I thought] wow, this really hits close to home.” 

“I’ve seen hurricanes growing up and the damages, but when it’s in my hometown, it definitely is a little different,” Danz said. 

The University has reportedly offered support for students from Florida. “I received emails from the ADSL at Forbes providing support on the hurricane in case I ever need to talk to them about my situation,” Vignesh said. 

Felice noted that she was “surprised” by the lack of reaction from faculty, saying that “professors didn’t really reach out.” However, Felice added that she received emails from the Dean of Rockefeller College. “She sent out a couple of emails [saying] reach out if … you need anything,” Felice said. 

According to University Spokesperson Jennifer Morrill, “The Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students has reached out to undergraduate students whose families may have been impacted by Hurricane Milton to offer support and resources information. Undergraduates who are seeking support or assistance are encouraged to reach out to their Assistant Deans for Student Life (ADSLs).”

Christopher Bao is an assistant News editor and the accessibility director for the ‘Prince.’ He is from Princeton, N.J. and typically covers town politics and life.

Eojin Park is a contributing News writer for the ‘Prince.’ 

Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.