CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Chaeli and Morgan Berglund went to Turks and Caicos for their anniversary.
They arrived on Saturday, and by Sunday they were already worried about getting out.
Curtis Long, from Charlotte, was in St. Thomas when he took cellphone photos and video of wind gusts of 90 mph from Hurricane Irma.
(Video captured of Hurricane Irma in St. Thomas)
Long and many others are having to ride out the storm.
Channel 9 reporter Glenn Counts FaceTimed with Chaeli Berglund and her husband, Morgan, from Charlotte, who are in the Turks and Caicos.
"I'd say for the most part the Americans are on pins and needles,” Chaeli Berglund said. "Right now, it's sunny and beautiful. It's been a little windy since we've been here."
The Berglunds know that Irma is on the way, and with it 185 mph winds. Several flights they’ve tried to catch were canceled, so they had to battle it out to get on a charter flight.
"At this point, we’re trying to pack our bags to meet up at a bus in 40 minutes to get to the airport,” Morgan Berglund said.
Safety didn’t come cheap for the Berglunds.
Seats on that charter flight are $1,500 each. The Berglunds said that's a bargain compared to some operators who were offering seats for $20,000 to $30,000.
"Yeah, it turned out to be a little more exciting than we bargained for, but that's the way it goes, I guess,” Chaeli Berglund said.
The Berglunds were scheduled to fly into Ft. Lauderdale Wednesday afternoon, and then they are going to rent a car and drive back to Charlotte.
Read more top trending stories on wsoctv.com:
- HURRICANE TRACKER: Irma hits Caribbean with catastrophic strength
- Sources: Stanly Co. Schools superintendent resigns amid allegations of misconduct
- Body found near uptown Charlotte ruled a homicide, police say
- WEDNESDAY OUTLOOK: Cold front and the Irma impact
- Tiger shot dead after sightings near I-75, Georgia police say
- TRACKING IRMA: The storm's predicted path