Former Timbers goalkeeper shares experience of escaping Hurricane Milton's path

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A famous former Oregon resident now living along the Florida coast has packed up his family after being in the evacuation zone for Hurricane Milton.

Retired Timbers goalkeeper Jeff Attinella told KOIN 6 News he and his family evacuated on Monday, headed inland and are hunkering down to ride out the hurricane.

He wanted to share a message to his Oregon friends that he and his wife and children — ages 4 and 8 — are now safe after leaving their home in Tampa and are now staying in a hotel in Orlando.

Attinella said it was quite a project packing up his home, something he experienced in Oregon back during 2020 wildfires. Now in Florida, the process included getting tarps, placing sandbags around the home to try and prevent flooding, moving furniture and other items and deciding which items to take with them in boxes.

“Pretty much just getting things from our first floor up to the second floor or up onto the countertops. Really taking our time and going through our stuff and putting it in bins that we can evacuate with. Just a lot of the stuff that we really, you know, wanted to make sure that we keep with us if the worst case were to happen,” Attinella said.

He said highway traffic heading from the Florida coast was so heavy, the emergency shoulder lanes were opened up to traveling vehicles.

Attinella said he pre-emptively cut off the power to his house so he's unable to monitor the home via cameras. However, he said he's checking the news and social media for updates.

Attinella said this is the second time he's had to evacuate from his Florida home. In 2022, he evacuated due to Hurricane Ian. Despite the hurricanes, the Florida coast native said he still likes living there.