Hurricane Florence cutting trips short

PHOENIX (KSAZ) -- Many people vacationing in the Carolinas had their trips cut short because of Hurricane Florence., and some rushed back to Arizona, after mandatory evacuations were put in place in some areas along the coast.

Mandatory evacuations were already put in place on Tuesday, and businesses were forced to close down Wednesday afternoon..
One woman who was vacationing in Myrtle Beach, Which is expected to be one of the hardest hit areas, said she and her husband knew they had to get out of there.

Deborah McGeorge says its better to be safe than sorry.

"So often, we watched on television, other people have said we're staying, we're going to sit it out, and things go wrong," said McGeorge, who flew in from Myrtle Beach, SC. "So there was no question that we were going to leave.

Escaping before Hurricane Florence is about to hit, however, was not an easy task.

"Our flight out of Myrtle Beach was canceled, and all flights were filled," said McGeorge.

McGeorge and her husband, however, didn't give up.

"We just started driving. All roads were leading west, so no roads going in," said McGeorge. "We were in the eastbound lane going west."

They drove their rental car overnight with no sleep until they got all the way to Raleigh, North Carolina Wednesday morning. That's where they finally found a flight straight to Phoenix.

While many have left the hurricane-prone areas, some of their family members have chosen to stay.

"I just don't understand why my family isn't leaving Charleston, that doesn't make any sense to me," said Rad Monferdini.

One couple from Virginia Beach who came to Phoenix for work said they're mostly concerned about flooding, and made sure to prep the house before leaving.