Hallmark Star Braces as Category 5 Hurricane Milton Nears: ‘Not Evacuating’

As Hurricane Milton moves closer to Florida, Hallmark star Catherine Bell is updating her followers about her hurricane preparations and her choice not to evacuate.

“Not evacuating,” she wrote in an Instagram Story, and explained why she felt safe to stay. The star is well known by Hallmark fans for her lead role on “Good Witch.” She also starred in the popular 2023 movie, “Christmas on Cherry Lane.”

As of Monday afternoon, October 7, Hurricane Milton had intensified into a monster Category 5 storm, AP News reported. The hurricane’s track predicted that the center of the storm could make landfall in the Tampa region on Wednesday, and weaken slightly just before it comes ashore. This could mean that other states affected by Hurricane Helene would be spared this time, AP News reported. However, hurricanes are notoriously unpredictable and can change course.

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Catherine Bell Said the Hurricane Was ‘Not Good’ But She Is in a ‘Safe Spot’

In a previous Instagram story after Hurricane Helene, Bell told her followers that her home near Clearwater Beach didn’t sustain any major damage or flooding. She said she didn’t live near the beach or in a flood zone and had been confident she would be OK. But in an Instagram story published on October 7, Bell seemed concerned about Hurricane Milton. She wrote that the hurricane was “not good” but they were not evacuating and were prepared.

“Not good….” she wrote on her Instagram Story. “(& I’m usually of the mindset these weakness or move far away and never as projected. But this one is REAL 😱. I’m in a safe spot so we’re not evacuating. I have a whole house generator, getting extra food and water today. 🙏”

According to Google Maps, Clearwater Beach is about an hour’s drive from Tampa and roughly 25 miles away. The St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport will be closed after the final flight on Tuesday, AP reported. Weather.com reported that Clearwater Beach was among the regions that might be hit.

Many people in the Tampa region are evacuating. On October 7, Fox 13 reported the following mandatory evacuation orders:

• Hernando County: Areas west of US 19, including evacuation zones A, B, and C. Residents in low-lying or coastal areas, or in manufactured homes.
• Hillsborough County: Zones A and B, plus mobile and manufactured homes.
• Manatee County: Zones A, B, and C, plus all mobile and manufactured homes and RVs.
• Anna Maria Island: All of the island
• Pasco County: Zones A, B, and C and residents in mobile homes and low-lying areas, or flood-prone areas.
• Pinellas County: Zones A, B, C and all mobile homes in the county
• Sarasota County: Levels A and B, plus all mobile or manufactured homes and people on boats.

Evacuation orders can change, so if you’re in the area, stay tuned to local reports.

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She Encouraged Anyone in a Flood Zone to Evacuate & Noted She Still Needed to Check Her Generator

Bell also used her Instagram Story to encourage everyone to stay safe and evacuate if they are in a flood zone.

“Everyone in this path please be safe!! Evacuate in flood zones! We got this guys.”

In a later Instagram Story, she shared a checklist of her hurricane prep, noting that her patio furniture was already moved in and her lanterns were ready.

However, her checklist revealed that she still needed to get groceries and check that her generator was working.

In another set of Instagram Stories, she shared where people in the area could find free parking out of the flood zones if needed. Then she shared a picture of some food she had made for herself, writing: “Hurricane prep crepes! Added some Greek yogurt for protein!”

Bell’s home was flooded in late August 2023 from Hurricane Idalia. At the time, in August 2023, she posted about the preparations she was making and said she lived four feet above sea level.

However, the storm left her home with five inches of floodwater, she later shared.

“Every room … it’s all gutted now,” she wrote. “…Finding a temporary place to live.”

Hurricane Idalia made landfall as a Category 3 storm, according to Weather.gov.

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