It's hard to believe it's been over a week since we heard about a tropical storm that might hit Florida. We abandoned our family night plans that night and headed to multiple stores looking for a generator and gas cans. I ordered food via Instacart and made sure our fridge and pantry were stocked.
We've never been through a hurricane so we had no idea what to expect. By Monday of last week, it looked like the storm was heading to Tampa or somewhere north of Tampa (depending on whether you looked at the American model or European model) and since we live in Bonita Springs, I thought we were far enough south that it wouldn't be too bad. But we still put up hurricane shutters and removed all the furniture from our lanai and moved everything out of our yard.
And then on Tuesday evening, we started hearing talk about evacuating. By time the time we found out we were in a mandatory evacuation zone, it was 9pm (which is about the time I usually go to bed). I was already in my pajamas and getting ready for bed when I got notice.
Since this was our first hurricane and I didn't expect it to hit anywhere near us, the thought that we'd have to evacuate never occurred to me…and we were completely unprepared.
I tried to remain calm so as not to worry the twins and my husband started prepping the house while the twins and I packed. We grabbed clothes, snacks, medicine, important documents and everything our dogs would need. We also grabbed flashlights and some card games to keep us occupied.
We headed to my parents house since they're south of us and weren't in an evacuation zone. Their house is also concrete and designed to withstand a hurricane. We figured we'd spend the night there and at first light we'd head to the other side of the state for a few days. But by Wednesday morning, the tornadoes were bad and there was a shelter in place order issued, so we stayed put.
We lost power early on Wednesday and spent the day listening to the howling winds and watching as winds whipped trees and branches by the windows. It sounded like a freight train was barreling down on us.
When the winds finally calmed and the rain slowed, we ventured back home…and were devastated by what we saw.
Major roads were completely flooded. Other roads were blocked by large trees.
We saw houses with water that covered the windows. We saw cars submerged in parking lots.
And when we got home it looked like a tornado had gone through our yard…literally. We had huge trees (some that were too big for me to wrap my arms around the trunk) that had fallen or had the tops sheared right off. Our fences were decimated and the water in our backyard was waist deep.
And while I expected to find that type of damage inside our house, we were some of the lucky ones that escaped without damage to our home. We didn't have power, we didn't have internet or cell service, but we had a home that was dry and our family was safe.
I woke up today to day 6 of no power…and although I had decent cell service for a few hours on Friday and a few hours Saturday, my cell service has been mostly non-existent and it was non-existent again today. The stoplights are still not working and the pharmacy where I was supposed to pick up my prescription last Wednesday is still closed.
Yesterday, I found a gas station that was open, but the line stretched for nearly a mile and since we still have enough gas to power our generator for 24 more hours, so we decided to wait and my husband went at 6am to fill up our gas cans.
I drove 40 minutes south of us to Walmart, but they were out of eggs, meat and so many other staples. Even the Dollar Tree was completely out of frozen food.
In the moments when I had enough cell service to check the news, I saw photos of devastation and I read that restaurants and landmarks that I loved had been destroyed.
In those moments of cell service, I also received texts from friends and neighbors updating me on the status of their homes and families. Some lost nearly everything…others only suffered property damage.
Some were texting to let us know they had power and that if we needed some AC or a hot shower, we were welcome to come over.
And still other texts were from online retailers alerting me of hot deals, while here in Southwest Florida we wait…hoping to see power restored so our local stores can open and we hope that they will have what we need when they do.
The reality is that when a tragedy strikes, the media covers the tragedy and the world takes notice for a day or two…and then it feels like people continue on with their daily lives while so many are left mourning and grieving and figuring out a new normal.
And while it feels like we're alone and isolated…so many people have banded together to make a difference. I cried today when I saw a convoy of fire trucks, ambulances, and rescue boats that came from the other side of the state to help with rescue and recovery efforts here. And I was so grateful for the linemen that I met that came down from Pennsylvania to help restore power.
And while I'm sad for our community…and wishing for power (which we'll probably get sometime next week), I'm thankful for a community that is rallying around each other and a church that is meeting so many needs in our community. And while I'm tempted to feel anxious, I'm thankful that God's Word contains so many Bible Verses for anxiety.
For those of you who are out there making a difference, thank you! To those who have traveled from near and far to help our community, thank you! To those who have donated money and supplies, thank you!
Please pray for our community over the next weeks and months as we rebuild. Please pray for those who have lost loved ones, cars, homes, businesses, jobs and those who feel like they've lost hope.
Stay tuned for Hurricane Preparation Checklists and Evacuation Packing Lists!
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