GREENSBORO, N.C. — Three UNC-Greensboro student-athletes are among many who have ties back to Florida as Hurricane Ian storms through.
Sophomore Women's Soccer player Chloe Lausell caught a glimpse of the storm passing over her Lakeland home through a video sent to her by her brother.
"I had the news on last night and was just watching it a lot," Lausell said. "It was a little bit nerve-wracking, especially after they went to bed and I wasn't in touch with them anymore."
Her family saw no damage and never lost power despite strong winds.
Senior Men's Basketball player Jalen White is from St. Petersburg, along the coast. His family also woke up Thursday without damage or electricity. They spent the day getting a sense of what their neighbors saw.
"My brother texted this morning saying there was a tree in someone's living room right down the street from us," White said. "We've been really fortunate but can't say that for everybody else."
In Bradenton, Sophomore Women's Soccer player Melanie Herrera's family is cleaning up debris and a fallen tree in the backyard. Their power was restored a little over 24 hours after they lost it.
It's the second brush her family has had with a hurricane this year. Her aunt and uncle are still without power in Puerto Rico due to Fiona. Her grandparents, who live there too, have been sheltering with Herrera's family.
"They were here already. It was a surprise for them to come to visit me and then they were supposed to go home about two days after they got here," Herrera said. "Then, hurricane Fiona hit so it was just safer for them to be here before this other hurricane came. They're eager to get home but they're just glad everyone is safe all around."
Lausell and Hererra's families were planning to come to watch their soccer games in Greensboro this weekend but in light of the storm's toll on their state and its projected path through ours, they have decided to wait for a different game and clearer skies.