(WRBL) – Tensions ramping up surrounding the arrival of Irma.
A Miami resident spoke with News Three about the chaos in the city as many prepare for what’s to come.
The woman speaks exclusively to her best friend, News Three’s Ashley Garrett.
“It was clear as day I heard a voice that said, “Get up, say a prayer and touch everything that you want me to protect.”- says Michelle Hunter, Miami evacuee.
Michelle Hunter is a luxury event planner in Miami.
After working a ten hour day Tuesday, Hunter says she was exhausted.
She says early morning Wednesday, God told her to prepare for the biggest storm on record Hurricane Irma.
“Sacrifice your sleep. I know you’re tired but where you’re weary and tired I will sustain you with the strength that you need.”- says Hunter.
At some point after hearing the voice Hunter says she went to get sand bags for her ocean-front home.
“Got in line at 7AM and there were over two hundred cars that had been waiting since 5:30 AM.”- say Hunter.
Hunter says she was in line for more than four hours.
From there, it was time to find gas.
Hunter says in an effort to find safety from Irma she made plans to go and stay with family in Central Florida.
She says hundreds appeared to have had the same idea as her causing her normal three hour route to be a seven hour drive.
“And I literally had to drive around for an hour and a half amongst those seven hours just to get gas because majority of all gas stations had run out of gas.”- says Hunter.
Hunter says things started to take a turn for the worse.
With hours left for her commute, she was driving on a half a tank of gas.
Hunter says, instead of worrying she began to pray.
Her GPS led her to a gas station.
“It was gonna take me an hour off of the path and I had an opportunity to either go Beeline Highway which is a dark road which doesn’t have any gas stations on half a tank or take the interstate and still be in traffic…I said you know what I’m gonna take the interstate.”- says Hunter.
Hunter says she never gave up on her faith, despite the obstacles that kept presenting themselves.
And literally within 45 minutes I found a gas station.”- says Hunter.
She made it to her destination safely early Thursday morning.
Hunter says, God covered her the entire way.
“I truly believe whenever you ask God for things that you do all that you can to prepare and where you fall short..He’ll meet you and I truly believe that.”- says Hunter.
