CLEVELAND (WJW) – Audrey Holtzman and her family are anxiously tracking Idalia.

“It’s a little eerie. It’s definitely the calm before the storm,” said Holtzman.

This Northeast Ohio native moved her family to Tampa, Florida from Twinsburg two years ago.

“In our area of Tampa, they are more concerned about the storm surge than a direct hit as of right now. But that could change,” said Holtzman.

The Holtzman family lives in the second evacuation zone so Audrey and Doug decided to ride the storm out.

“We did the same thing with Ian. It’s harder sometimes to leave because sometimes you can’t get back in,” said Holtzman.

Meanwhile, Floridians living in vulnerable areas along the northwest coast have been ordered to pack up and leave.

Hurricane Idalia is projected to hit overnight with sustained winds of up to 120 mph.

“Everything happens so fast. You hear whistling winds, you watch the water rise up. When the kids see that, they definitely get anxious and nervous,” said Holtzman.

Holtzman said many school districts along the Gulf Coast are closed through at least Wednesday. Several colleges and universities are also closed, including the University of Tampa and University of South Florida.