'Ramdam na namin,' Pinay says as rain, wind pound Orlando ahead of Hurricane Milton

The city of Orlando in Florida has started experiencing heavy rains and strong winds as Hurricane Milton neared landfall, as seen on video taken by Filipino Jowena Roberts.

"Hindi pa siya nagla-land pero ramdam na po namin 'yung hangin (Milton has yet to make landfall but we can already feel it)," Roberts said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB on Thursday.

A native of Ilocos Norte, Roberts has been living and working in Orlando for seven years.

Roberts said she and her family has decided to stay home since based on forecast Milton will already be downgraded from Category 5 when it reaches Orlando.

"Nandito kami (sa bahay), sabi it will slow down to Category 3 to 1 bago siya mag-hit dito," she said.

(We're here at home because according to authorities the hurricane would already slow down to Category 3 to 1 when it reaches our city.)

Hurricane Milton, described in reports as a "monster hurricane," barreled toward Florida's battered Gulf Coast as an enormous Category 5 storm on Tuesday, but it slightly weakened on Wednesday afternoon to a Category 3 hurricane, the third-highest level.

Milton was expected to maintain hurricane strength as it crossed the Florida peninsula, posing storm-surge danger on the state's Atlantic coast as well. 

Even though they did not evacuate, Roberts said they have stocked enough food and supplies as preparation for the hurricane. —with Reuters/KBK, GMA Integrated News