WICHITA, Kan. (KAKE) - Donna Motl has survived at least one hurricane just as strong as Ian, and she wants to pass one an important message: if you're planning to visit Florida anytime soon, please wait.

"It's not a good time to even think about anyway, because there's so many services that people are needing and they don't need extra tourists on top of that," Motl explained.

Donna moved to Wichita from Florida, but not before seeing scenes from past hurricanes for herself. She and her family rode out Hurricane Charley in 2004, which crashed into the Florida coast with winds as strong as Ian's, though it didn't stick around as long.

She can still remember just scrambling to do something as basic as find food to eat.

"Your whole focus, of course, is survival," she said. "There's no power to cook so you have to find it. You have to use your grill or you know, make sure that there's some way for you to cook."

The experience is miserable.

"It's humid, it's hot meal preparation practically all by having to boil water to clean your dishes. It's ongoing, you know, you don't have any clue how long it's gonna take."

Dealing with tourists, or even unprepared volunteers is something survivors simply aren't ready for, not to mention the basic supplies tourists would pull away from those just trying to live.

"I've been hearing things about, you know, people still expecting flights to get them into Florida and things like that. 
Disney World can wait for a few months," she said.

Disaster relief groups say the best way you can help right now is by making a cash donation. through the Red Cross. You can make that donation by going to the Florida Disaster Fund page.  Additionally, you can make a phone donation by texting "Disaster" to 20222.

The Red Cross is also asking for blood donors to come in, especially if you have type O-Negative blood.