An Ohio woman who traveled to Florida with friends and family to celebrate her recent 40th birthday was tragically killed during Hurricane Ian.
Nishelle Harris-Miles of Dayton had just traveled with her sister, a cousin, and a friend, to Fort Myers to celebrate her recent birthday. Shortly after their arrival in Florida the area they were staying in was hit head-on by Category 4 Hurricane Ian.
The roof above the room began to give way to the high winds, sending pieces onto the women. Harris-Miles cousin, Chanel Maston told WLWT TV station “we strapped ourselves to each other with a sheet, laid on the mattress. That water came out that floor so fast, so quick. The roof was smashing us. We tried to kick off the roof and lay on the mattress. It(we) kicked off that roof, so the roof wouldn’t smash us and the roof went, and we went. We started calling people before the water started really rising. We called 9111. We called 211. We called everybody to get us out of there and nobody came.
As pieces of the roof continued to fall, one struck Harris-Miles trapping her underneath. A protruding nail pierced a primary artery causing her to lose massive amounts of blood. Her friend with her on the trip, LaQuitta Heard, told station WHIO that she had to watch her friend slowly die as they were inundated by water amid violent winds. “I personally will never be the same again. Went for peace and came back broken, lost, confused, and guilty,” she added.
The women waited nearly 12 hours before being rescued by neighbors who pulled them out of the debris and wreckage. They returned to Ohio on Saturday.
Nishelle “Nene” Harris Miles leaves behind 2 sons and 2 daughters. A balloon release in her honor was held in Dayton this past Sunday. Her body has not yet been returned to her family.
