Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield, his wife Emily and their daughter were successfully evacuated as Hurricane Helene devastated Florida’s Gulf Coast.
“I have no words to accurately describe my heartbreak for everyone affected by Hurricane Helene,” Emily wrote on social media. “You see this stuff on TV, but until you experience it, you can’t fully comprehend the terror that comes with the unknown.
“Baker, Koko, Fergus and I evacuated yesterday and are safe,” Emily continued, mentioning her husband, daughter and dog respectively. “Our dear, dear community was ravaged, but even that doesn’t compare to those up north who weathered this storm. It’s unfathomable.
“I am so grateful to God for protecting us – and our home – and I am praying non-stop for everyone dealing with the aftermath of the storm, the surge, the damage and the loss. Time to come together and help each other. I have faith in this community.”
Emily ended her message by looking for ways she can help Tampa and the surrounding communities.
Emily Wilkinson (L) and Baker Mayfield attend the 13th annual NFL Honors
Baker Mayfield’s wife Emily looks for ways to help the Tampa Bay area after Helene
Jamir Lewis wades through floodwaters in the wake of Hurricane Helene with his two daughters, Nylah and Aria, on Friday
“I’m looking for ways to get out and help tangibly,” she wrote. ‘Please send me anything you find – and I will share the good ones with you.’
Mayfield and the 2-1 Bucs host the 2-1 Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. The match is expected to be played as scheduled.
Hurricane Helene left a huge trail of destruction across Florida and the southeastern US on Friday, killing at least 44 people, snapping towering oak trees like twigs and tearing homes apart as rescue crews launched desperate missions to save people of flooding.
In Tampa, some areas were only accessible by boat.
Officials urged people trapped to call rescue services and not enter floodwaters, warning they could be dangerous due to live wires, sewage, sharp objects and other debris.
More than 3 million homes and businesses were without power in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas as of late Friday, according to poweroutage.us. The location also showed disruptions as far north as Ohio and Indiana due to Helene’s rapid northward movement during the day.