Former PI County resident readies for Hurricane Ian

ALPENA -- Residents in Northeast Michigan worry little about hurricanes and the devastation they can cause, but a former Presque Isle County resident is about to witness the brunt of Hurricane Ian, which is approaching Florida.

Shanna Bursey, formerly of Millersburg, now resides in Englewood, on the west coast of Florida.

Englewood lies in the direct path of the oncoming hurricane, and Bursey is uneasy about what is about to transpire and how it could impact her life afterward.

Being from Northeast Michigan, Bursey is accustomed to snowstorms, thunderstorms, and a rare tornado. But the dire warnings from weather and safety officials are elevating her fears and prompting worries about what will become of her safety, livelihood, and home.

It is the first hurricane Bursey will experience since relocating to Florida.

Bursey said the fear is so intense that she is wearing a necklace with a charm holding a portion of her mother's ashes. The necklace comforts her and helps her believe that her mother and her deceased father are looking after her and will help keep her safe.

"I'm terrified and more scared than I have ever been in my life," Bursey said. "I'm scared for myself and losing everything I have worked so hard for. Now, I see people who planned to ride the storm out and have been through bad storms before, leaving. Reality has set in, and, I'm not going to lie, I'm scared."

Ian -- potentially a Category 3 or Category 4 storm by the time it hits land -- could make landfall within miles of Bursey's home in Englewood.

Severe flooding and hurricane force winds are forecasted for Englewood and the surrounding area.

The National Weather Service currently has Englewood under a hurricane warning and predicts a storm surge of eight to 12 feet and sustained winds as high as 115 miles per hour, with gusts up to 145 miles per hour.

The weather warning says some locations near the eye of the storm could become uninhabitable for weeks or months.

Before, during, and after the storm, Bursey will remain at work at the Englewood Hospital, where she works in the food and nutrition department.

When she was hired, she signed up for the "A-Team," which is required to work as long as necessary during a hurricane or other catastrophic events.

Bursey doesn't know how long she will remain locked in the one-story, 100-bed hospital, but her boss told her to bring enough clothing for seven days.

"I will eat, sleep, and work to take care of the patients," she said. "I have to stay here until they tell me the B-Team is here and I'm told I can leave. I don't know what I'll have left when I get home."

Once she is dismissed from work, Bursey fears what she may find when she returns home. She knows flooding and wind damage are a real possibility, but, she added, she is ready to face the fallout, as long as she comes through the storm unharmed.

"You can replace clothes, furniture, and things like that," she said. "I can't replace myself, and I am scared for my safety. Anyone who knows me knows not much frightens me, but this is the real deal. This may be my first and last hurricane, because I don't want to go through another one if I survive."

Bursey has been keeping her friends and family in Northeast Michigan updated about the developing situation on Facebook and she has a plan in place to remain safe. She said for the most part, people have encouraged her that things will be alright and wished her well. Friends' comments of concern, Bursey said, help ease her anxiety.

"People have been super supportive, and it does help a lot," she said.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the eye of the hurricane was forecast to make landfall near Venice Florida, 10 miles north of Englewood. If that prediction is correct, that would leave Bursey and her community on the eastern edge of the storm, which is more intense and receives more storm surge than the western side.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the National Hurricane Center -- part of the National Weather Service -- predicts the storm will make landfall this afternoon, but there is still a chance the storm path and intensity can change.