FORT MYERS, FL. (WLNE) — Hurricane Milton is now a Category 4 storm as it churns towards Florida’s Gulf Coast. “It’s extremely frightening,” Fort Meyers resident Dave Nickerson said. Nickerson is a former Warwick resident now living in Lee County, which is a zone not under a mandatory evacuation order. “I am feeling pretty comfortable that I am safe from the storm surge,” he said. “The only thing that worries me right now is my roof is still weak. I don’t want to have the same kind of hurricane force winds that Ian brought with him.” Nickerson said the tornadoes ahead of the hurricane are what he fears. “I don’t know if I’m going to have to run to my little bathroom and hide, or whether I am going to be praying for people who are doing the same thing where it has touched down elsewhere,” he added. Companies and individuals from Rhode Island have traveled south to Florida to assist and prepare for relief assistance. “Obviously I’m a little bit anxious and nervous,” BMS Cat Emergency Response Coordinator Ken Reed said. “You’re anticipating things and you don’t know what’s going to happen, it’s really the fear of the unknown.” BMS Cat focuses on emergency services that specializes in water and fire damage recovery and reconstruction cleanup. “You could tell a lot of the stores were already closing down, a lot of the gas stations are no longer pumping gas,” Reed added. “We tried getting food since we’re traveling to Tampa in the next couple of days. The food on the shelves is wiped clean.” He said his plan is to be on the ground helping those impacted by Milton for the next month. Categories: News, Rhode Island, US & World News