Mom and Daughter's 54-Hour Drive to Outrun Hurricane Milton and Save Grandma, What Happened Next Will Surprise You

Jennifer Seaman, 40, and her mother, Sue Schaffnit, 66, sat in their cozy home in Peoria, Illinois, exchanging anxious phone calls late into the night. Hurricane Milton was wreaking havoc in Florida, and Jennifer's 93-year-old grandmother, who lived in an assisted care home in Venice, Florida, was in the storm's path. As the winds picked up, so did their concern. It wasn’t just the power outages or the rising waters—Jennifer and Sue couldn’t bear the thought of their grandmother being alone in such a frightening situation.

Around 9 p.m., Jennifer recalls the moment they knew they had to act. “I was talking to my mom. We were back and forth on the phone, checking flights, but everything was booked.” Time was running out, and they couldn’t sit idly by. “It was pushing 10 p.m., and we decided we should drive down there and do it,” Jennifer said.

In a flurry of quick decisions, Jennifer raced to her mom's house. “We didn’t pack bags or have a change of clothes,” she said, reflecting on how fast they had moved. “We spent about five minutes deciding what we were going to do and went.”

By 10 p.m. on October 6, the two women were on the road, embarking on the grueling 1,210-mile journey through Kentucky, Tennessee, and Georgia. Their hearts pounded as they drove through the night, hoping to reach Jennifer's grandmother before the storm worsened.

Twenty hours later, they pulled up to the care home in Venice at 7 p.m. local time. They didn’t have long to rest. After only 30 minutes of loading up the car and bidding a quick farewell to the care home staff, who had a shelter-in-place plan, they were back on the road. For Jennifer and Sue, leaving their loved one behind wasn’t an option. “I think for my mum and me, if something bad were to happen or if the storm took a massive turn and wiped people out—the last thing we wanted was for my grandma to have died without family with her,” Jennifer explained.

The drive home wasn’t easy. After six hours of gridlock traffic and sleepless exhaustion, they found a hotel near Atlanta just in time for a brief rest before hitting the road again. Despite the hurdles, they remained determined to keep their grandma safe.

Jennifer smiled as she recalled how her grandma handled the journey like a true pillar of strength. “Grandma is very relieved to be here; she was very strong throughout the journey as it was a long way to travel at her age.” It was no small feat for a 93-year-old to endure such an arduous trip, but her resilience was inspiring. “We are so proud to have such a courageous woman as our matriarch,” Jennifer said, her warmth evident.

They finally pulled into Peoria at 5 a.m. on October 9, the long trip behind them but the love and relief clear in every tired smile. Jennifer, Sue, and her grandmother were home—together.

While Jennifer is unsure how long her grandmother will stay with them, she knows they made the right choice. “As we were getting out, the storm was picking up intensity,” she recalled. “The drive home was rough; we were in tons of gridlock traffic. Everyone was trying to leave.”

Despite the exhaustion and uncertainty, Jennifer felt overwhelming gratitude. Her grandmother was safe, loved, and with family. “She is anxious to get back and see how everyone is,” Jennifer admitted. But for now, they were just thankful to have each other. Venice may still be flooded and without power, but in Peoria, there was warmth, love, and relief—three generations united by their courageous hearts.

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