Cuban woman in Tampa who refused to evacuate with her children due to Hurricane Milton: “It was monstrous.”

Despite warnings about the potentially catastrophic effects of Hurricane Milton in Florida, especially in the city of Tampa, Cuban Denise Díaz ignored the evacuation order and stayed with her family to face a night she described as "monstrous."

In a video shared on TikTok, Díaz (@denisediaz017) narrated in real-time the intensity of the storm, revealing her fear and surprise at the magnitude of the hurricane.

"The wind is blowing really strong, I'm not going to be able to do any live video," she said at the beginning of her testimony.

"Oh my God, you can't be outside, this is terrifying," she added, while describing the dangers lurking outside her home.

Visibly affected by the force of the hurricane, Díaz continued: “The wind is howling, it seems like there’s a ghost outside... I have never heard anything like this, this is horrible.”

As the storm intensified, her worry grew for her children: “I am in a safe area, in the safest area of my house. The kids are here.”

Although she appreciated that they still had electricity in their home, she noted that the power had gone out twice, causing more uncertainty.

In another video, the young mother provided a description of the effects of the hurricane, which became increasingly dramatic: "The roof of Tropicana Field is already gone, the fences are flying, a crane fell, this has been terrible."

The strength of the wind and the floods left her speechless: "This is a monster. May God protect us, may God protect Tampa, our families, and our homes."

In a third post, the Cuban reiterated the seriousness of the situation: “There will be nothing left... I have never seen anything like this, this is a monster.”

The hurricane Milton left a significant trail of damage and several fatalities as it passed through Florida.

In addition to flooding, Milton left a large amount of destruction caused not only by its winds but also by the 19 confirmed tornadoes, nine of which were in South Florida, that occurred before the phenomenon made landfall.

In Tampa, for example, Hurricane Milton tore off the roof of the Tampa Bay Rays stadium, which was supposed to serve as a shelter for thousands of evacuees and emergency workers.