With Hurricane Idalia heading north, South Florida parents worry about their college students
MIAMI - Some South Florida parents have sent their kids to school in Central and North Florida. With Hurricane Idalia on the way and classes cancelled some are making tough decisions… to let them stay or bring them home.
The good news for parents is all the South Florida students CBS News Miami spoke to say they've been watching mom and dad over the years, and they know exactly how to prepare for a storm.
The University of Florida's campus is empty since classes were cancelled thanks to Idalia. Students have begun prepping for whatever Idalia may bring. For law student Caitlyn Kahn that meant shopping to pack up and head to Orlando with her brother who is a sophomore.
Caitlyn Kahn says, "We didn't wanna go all the way back home to South Florida in case we do have classes resuming on Thursday, but to kind of appease our parents' nerves of staying here in this area with an impending major hurricane coming."
Born and raised in South Florida they know a thing or two about a storm. Kahn immediately went shopping. "We just headed over to Publix, which was next door. Got lucky enough to get a few gallons off the rack there."
Jalen Forbes is from Miami Gardens. He's a student at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, where classes are also cancelled. He is staying put. He says, "Well, right now I'm still in the worrying stages, but being from South Florida, I'm used to being in hurricanes."
Chaundra Burse is a mom who just dropped her only child off to college a few weeks ago. She says, "My nerves are a little off because I am not there to make sure he has everything, physically to see it but I am working through the emotions." Her son Chaumari Hill is from Miami and attending Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach where they too have no classes and are now waiting to see what happens next. Hill says he's ready "It's different being by yourself but my family prepared me for this." He adds, I'm kind of nervous but I'm ready."
The students would like their parents to stop worrying and calling they want them to know they will be OK.
