Farm Owner Shares Why She's Staying in Central Florida During Hurricane Milton: 'These Animals Are Our Children' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Sara Weldon and Rick Bass.Photo:Sara Weldon, Rick Bass

Sara Weldon, Rick Bass

A Florida woman is explaining her decision not to evacuate ahead ofHurricane Milton’s arrival, saying she and her husband are determined to ensure the more than 100 animals on their family farm stay safe.

In a video posted toTikTok, Sara Weldon says, “We are in the direct path of where this hurricane is supposed to hit. … We’re not evacuating. And please, don’t ask me to.”

“All these animals are our children,” she adds, choking back tears.

As Weldon notes in the video, her family farm is not on the coast, but is located in central Florida — in Clermont, which is located in between Tampa and Orlando.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Weldon says that she and her husband, Rick Bass, have children that are adults and live elsewhere, Their animals, however, are like family.

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Milton is expected to downgrade to a non-major hurricane (i.e., Category 1 or 2) as it continues northeast through Central Florida before exiting the state off the East Coast, back into the Atlantic Ocean, per the NHC’s latest prediction.

Sara Weldon and Rick Bass with their dogs.Sara Weldon, Rick Bass

“We have been through other hurricanes but never in the direct path like we are for this one,” Weldon says. “Evacuating all of our animals would take a miracle, so we stay put with them. They are our children, and we want to stay. We are in a voluntary evacuation zone for now and are not near any bodies of water.”

Still, Weldon is taking plenty of precautions in the event that the farm loses power.

“For us, we have stocked up on gas and propane, filled bathtubs and gotten plenty of food and water. We stocked up on feed for the animals, ensured fences were tight, and gave them all the love and prayers we can,” she says.

Sara Weldon and Rick Bass with their animals.Sara Weldon, Rick Bass

Weldon adds that the outpouring of support she’s gotten on social media has “blown us away.”

“We already had a large following for our account,OurSimpleHomestead, due to the world loving Cash and his story; however, since posting a video about staying with our animals through the storm, our account has doubled overnight,” she says. “We have been filled with so much love from all over the world — offers of farms to bring the animals to, and more importantly, we have an entire world praying for the protection of our farm.”

Still, Weldon admits she is scared, acknowledging, “this storm is unlike any other we have even seen, it’s a monster.”

“I alternate between feeling calm and then crying over my animals,” she says. “When I say goodnight to them tonight, I have no idea if I will see them again; that is an excruciating and heavy thought.”

source: people.com