My conversation with Bridgit Budd after Hurricane Milton felt a lot different than the one we had after Hurricane Ian.
The last time NBC2 spoke to her, Budd had to take a boat to meet me on Bunche Beach for an interview.
She's ridden out every storm since Charley. So, she knows no storm is the same.
"It's never been a question. We never, ever thought of leaving it," said Budd.
Bridgit says the first time she stayed, she didn't think she had a choice.
That was 20 years ago.
" I learned with Charlie is, I knew that if I left, I couldn't get back. And at that time, I had put my entire nest egg, you know, like 140,000 into my first restaurant on Captiva and I and then we got hit with Charlie, and if I, if I left, I couldn't get back and it was all I had," said Budd.
During Ian, the biggest threat to her life was the storm surge.
She was scared of the same thing during Milton.
"We went to bed and both said to each other. Wooh! You know, we got spared on this one. And then I would say a couple of hours later, my husband got up with a flashlight and he yelled, B, the water's coming in. And the surge started coming in," said Budd.
Bridgit has damage to the first floor, where she stores appliances and tools, but it's nothing compared to Ian.
She says her experience is unique and knows she will continue riding out future storms, but she wouldn't recommend that to anyone else.
"The scariest part is always survival afterward. Like it's not actually writing it out. And I don't condone it. I don't, I don't, I don't suggest anybody stays unless they feel it in their heart," said Budd.
She says surviving the water is one thing.
It's the community that helps you through the hard times.
"So the experience of the hurricane is done. It's gone. You know, so the best part is waking up the next morning with the blue sky," said Budd