Central Florida couple back home after conflict in Iran left them stuck in Israel
TRUMP SUGGESTED THE ATTACK ON SATURDAY WAS DONE BY IRAN. A CENTRAL FLORIDA COUPLES BACK HOME AFTER THE CONFLICT IN IRAN LEFT THEM STUCK IN ISRAEL. THAT’S RIGHT. WESH 2 NEWS HAYLEY CROMBLEHOLME IS LIV. AFTER SITTING DOWN WITH THAT COUPLE TONIGHT, HAYLEY. KEN AND JOY DAVIS ARE FROM HERE IN LONGWOOD, BUT THEY WERE VISITING THEIR DAUGHTER IN JERUSALEM. THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO HEAD HOME MARCH 4TH. ULTIMATELY, THEY WOULD GET BACK FOUR DAYS LATER. THEY LANDED IN MIAMI SUNDAY MORNING. EMERGENCY STAIRCASE TO THE LOWER LOBBY. PLEASE FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS ON THE HOME FRONT COMMAND. THIS WAS THE ANNOUNCEMENT IN JORDAN, KEN DAVIS’S HOTEL IN JERUSALEM, LETTING GUESTS KNOW THEY HAD TO TAKE SHELTER. IT’S UNCLEAR WHEN THE YOU CAN SEE PEOPLE ARE IN HERE. THE DAVISES WERE SUPPOSED TO HEAD HOME MARCH 4TH, BUT OPERATION EPIC FURY IN IRAN AND RETALIATORY STRIKES ON ISRAEL MEANT THE COUPLE COULDN’T MAKE IT HOME TO CENTRAL FLORIDA. THEY WOULD HAVE TO TAKE SHELTER MULTIPLE TIMES, DAY OR NIGHT, PROBABLY ABOUT 10 TO 12 TIMES DURING THAT PERIOD. MOST OF OCCURRING IN THE FIRST COUPLE DAYS, THE DAVISES SAID THEY STAYED IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT AND THE U.S. EMBASSY, WAITING FOR WORD ON WHEN AND HOW THEY COULD GET HOME, JOY SAID. THE COUPLE RECEIVED AN EMAIL ABOUT A FLIGHT BACK THEY COULDN’T CATCH IN TIME. ABOUT A DAY LATER, THEY GOT ANOTHER EMAIL FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT GIVING THEM SEATS ON A FLIGHT TO MIAMI. AT THE AIRPORT, YOU COULD SEE EMBASSY WORKERS WITH THE AMERICAN FLAG EMBLAZONED ON THEIR VESTS. BUT WHILE AT THE AIRPORT JUST HAD A. AIR RAID SIREN GO OFF FOR NOW, THEY HAD TO TAKE SHELTER AGAIN. SHELTER AREA C. ALL THE PEOPLE. SHELTER. IN HERE, A COUPLE ROOMS, BUT THEY WERE ABLE TO CLEAR OUT AND GET TO THEIR GATE. BUT JOY SAID, SEEING A 20 MINUTE DELAY, THERE WAS SOME WORRY WHEN EVERYBODY WAS KIND OF LIKE, WELL, WHAT’S GOING ON? ARE WE GOING TO GET OUT TONIGHT? BUT THEIR PLANE MADE IT OUT. THEY TOUCHED DOWN IN MIAMI SUNDAY MORNING. THE COUPLE CREDITS THE STATE DEPARTMENT AND THE EMBASSY FOR GETTING THEM HOME. THEY KNEW WHO WE WERE. THEY KNEW WHERE WE WERE, AND THEY MADE A CONCERTED EFFORT TO MAKE SURE WE GOT TO SAFETY. NOW THE DAVISES RECOMMEND ANY OTHER AMERICANS THAT MIGHT BE TRAVELING, ENROLLING IN THE STATE DEPARTMENT’S SMART TRAVELER ENROLLMENT PROGRAM. IT ALLOWS YOU TO SORT OF REGISTER YOUR TRIP OUT OF THE COUNTRY WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT, AND THEN THEY’RE ABLE TO CONTACT YOU IN THE EVENT
Central Florida couple back home after conflict in Iran left them stuck in Israel
Updated: 11:01 PM EDT Mar 9, 2026
A Central Florida couple is back home after the conflict in Iran meant they couldn’t make it out of Israel. Ken and Joy Davis were in Jerusalem visiting their daughter and were supposed to return home March 4. But Operation Epic Fury in Iran and retaliatory strikes on Israel meant the couple couldn’t make it home to Central Florida. The Davis family said they stayed in close contact with the State Department and the U.S. Embassy, waiting for word on when and how they could get home. While in Jerusalem, the couple said they had to take shelter about a dozen times, something they’d never done before on their many trips to Israel in the past. Joy said eventually the couple received an email from the State Department about a flight back they couldn’t catch in time. About a day later, they got another email from the state department getting them seats on a flight to Miami. They touched down in Miami Sunday morning. The couple credits the State Department and the Embassy for getting them home. “They knew who we all were, they knew where we were, and they made a concerted effort to make sure we got to safety,” Joy said.
SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. —
A Central Florida couple is back home after the conflict in Iran meant they couldn’t make it out of Israel.
Ken and Joy Davis were in Jerusalem visiting their daughter and were supposed to return home March 4. But Operation Epic Fury in Iran and retaliatory strikes on Israel meant the couple couldn’t make it home to Central Florida.
The Davis family said they stayed in close contact with the State Department and the U.S. Embassy, waiting for word on when and how they could get home.
While in Jerusalem, the couple said they had to take shelter about a dozen times, something they’d never done before on their many trips to Israel in the past.
Joy said eventually the couple received an email from the State Department about a flight back they couldn’t catch in time. About a day later, they got another email from the state department getting them seats on a flight to Miami.
They touched down in Miami Sunday morning.
The couple credits the State Department and the Embassy for getting them home.
“They knew who we all were, they knew where we were, and they made a concerted effort to make sure we got to safety,” Joy said.