Baby Boy Born During Hurricane Milton Declared ‘Miracle’ – Meanwhile, His Parents Wonder if Their Next Child Will Be Conceived in an Earthquake.

In the wee hours of 4 a.m. ET Wednesday, as the cozy Port Charlotte, Florida, neighborhood braced itself for Hurricane Milton’s impending chaos, Kenzie Lewellen decided it was the perfect time to enter the exciting world of parenthood. Nothing says “Welcome to the world, little one!” quite like giving birth during a storm, right?

Kenzie, a tad nervous, shared her worries: “My mind was just running a million miles an hour, like, what am I going to do?” Well, ticks and constructive stress are just the warm-up act—Hurricane Milton had some dramatic plans up its sleeve.

Meanwhile, the baby’s father, Dewey Bennett (yes, that’s right—another Dewey), echoed the general sentiment of sheer panic, “I was very stressed.” You know, just another day in Florida where the weather both threatens your home and your ability to have a normal labor.

Flashback to 2017, when Hurricane Irma dropped by to crash the party. Dewey’s father met a tragic end due to a heart attack after help could not reach their family in time. Now, with history lurking like a horror movie villain, Dewey couldn’t help but think of the lovely déjà vu—a labor amidst a hurricane and roads likely turned into rivers.

Catch live updates… if surviving Milton doesn’t kill you first.

As the storm surged to greet them at 8:30 p.m., the couple’s home had begun its transformation into an indoor swimming pool before contractions even kicked in. The clock was ticking on their plans—who wants to be stuck in their house with an imminent hurricane while waiting for a baby to arrive? Dewey was especially keen to avoid another cycle of stressful emergency and poor timing.

Considering a last-minute evacuation to West Palm Beach, they high-fived their lucky stars that they didn’t—because tornadoes were popping off like party favors. Who knew childbirth would come with this much natural disaster excitement?

“I just wanted to labor without thinking about dying,” Lewellen added as the winds howled outside. The hospital was off-limits for a pre-check-in during a storm because you know, protocols. But after a grueling 4½ hours at home, the duo and Kenzie’s mom set off through the storm—and were almost blown off course, literally.

Just to make it interesting, only one person was allowed into the hospital (obviously, a hurricane is not a good excuse for a family reunion), so Kenzo had to wave goodbye to her mother—a heart-wrenching moment made slightly less grim by the marvel of FaceTime. Because nothing says “I’m giving birth” like a video call, right?

In a labor room with a splendid view of nature’s fury—nothing like giving birth while watching free entertainment out the window—Kenzie entertained herself by commenting on the tornadoes outside, because why not add a bit of snark to the experience? “Look at that tree, is it going to fly away?” she quipped, aptly distracted from her impending labor.

Hours dragged on with the delightful surprise of discovering baby Dewey was a little too hung up to find himself in the right position. Guess who’s not getting a trophy for good behavior? Yep, Cesarean time! Amidst the hurricane, Lewellen faced some unprecedented pain, leaving her to ponder if the storm was easier than all this.

Fortunately, the brave doctors and nurses were just a drive away and ready to save the day. David Verinder, CEO of Sarasota Memorial Health Care, proudly announced, “Our team braved it all for our patients!” (Translation: We’ll take a hurricane any day if it means we can pull off some dramatic medical heroics.)

As the clock struck 11:45 p.m., a healthy 8-pound* baby Dewey was born, much to the parents’ disbelief. Holding him for the first time, they both admitted the feeling was indescribable, probably because of all the chaos they had just survived.

And as for their newborn’s epic entrance? “I’m probably going to give him a hard time for being so stubborn,” Lewellen mused, humorously throwing out the idea of a new nickname: Milton. Because why not laugh in the face of adversity?

“He is a miracle baby,” she declared, cradling her little bundle of chaos as sunlight finally peered through the storm clouds. A cinematic moment if there ever was one.