Life is Like That

Survival Tactics for Life's Unexpected Foibles

2005-06-08

Oh Boy, Hurricane Season already?

One of the bigger foibles, we had to deal with last year was the hurricanes. What an experience that was to overcome.

I must say that I'm counting my blessings that we had at least a week between storms to prepare, unlike the Tsunami victims, with little or no warning. My heart and prayers go out to all those families.

As I sit here preparing for the day ahead of me, I hear in the background the lastest weather report with signs of some possible storms already brewing just a week into hurricane season.

I lived in Florida my entire life, with the exception of about two years when I lived in Tennessee and started my home based business. Never in my entire life have we ever experienced the hurricane season we had last year. I cringe at even the thought of more storms this year. They have early projection forecast of 15 tropical depressions, 9 hurricanes and 4 to make landfall.

After last year, just hearing that and also we are in a 20 year weather cycle, makes ya want to pack up and move far far away...however I do really love living in Florida, after all it is the "Sunshine State".

Where we live in South Lake county right in an area now known as Four Corners, Florida approximately 7 miles from Walt Disney World we were blessed with 3 of the 5 hurricanes. In all honesty I've never experienced anything like that and I am really counting my blessings.

We had to evacuate 4 times within 6 weeks, I swear at times you didn't know if you were coming or going. About the time you got things semi cleaned up enough to unload it was time to evacuate again...with the exception of my grandfather, he refused to evacuate and at 91 years old he rode out three hurricanes all by himself. He said, "If it's my time to go, I'd just as soon be here at home." The property here is beautiful, 24 acres on lakefront property completely surrounded by woods...hard to find that kind of privacy, in the Heart of Central Florida.

I have two children, so I had no choice but do the responsible thing and get my children to safety. Feeling guilty the entire time about leaving grandpa behind. Found a hotel that was very closeby so after the storm we could make our way home to check on grandpa.

We had about 25 downed 40-60 year old trees just on the immediate property surrounding the house and one of them decided to rest upon the top of my mom's vacation home, which we call the greenhouse. It looked like a war zone on this beautiful property. However all things considered I believe it was faith, the angels and the trees that protected grandpa and the house.

You could see where a tornado had moved across the lakefront edge bumping against the trees toppling alot of the cypress trees,one crushed the canoe, pushed the sailboat completely up on land and left the wind surfer dangling up in a tree across the lake and eventually found a clear spot and headed up to mom's property to leave them a new huge roof ornament.

We had alot of roof and water damage to both houses and it took us about 6 months, to semi put things back in order. But hey, we got really great at using the chainsaw.

We were really pretty fortunate, there are so many still feeling the hardships from last summer. Many roofs not fixed, alot of trouble with insurance premiums and coverage. Alot of people still living in FEMA Aid mobile homes awaiting repairs of their homes.

As you make the drive down the I-4 corridor you can still see blue tarps everywhere you look and many many trees leaning or fallen. I believe the effects of last year will remain with Florida for many years to come.

Unless you were here to experience it, it's hard to really appreciate. It was very stressful, they call it hurricane anxiety and have provided counselors for those still having a hard time coping.

The last storm we were without power for 7 days following the storm. We had the opportunity to "get back to the basics" and actually had alot of time without computers, video games, tvs, to really be together and communicate and work together cleaning up everything. Boy did I ever miss my computer, that was quite a long downtime.

Two of the ear trees we still have in the yard, roots up in the air about 6 ft, and completely down..are an amazing site to look at.One of them we call "Charley's Arch" the way it fell it sorta looks like a huge arch and both have managed to still be growing, a wonderful sign that life does go on. For mother's day we planted flowers in the beds of the trees like a trough, in honor of all mothers.

One thing I would like to say is Governor Jeb Bush, the City and County Government Officials and the police and firemen were truly terrific and all was very much appreciated.

Governor Jeb Bush was the perfect person to lead us all thru those hurricanes. No I'm not a republican, he really did a great job, keeping all calm, reassured and informed, helping this beautiful "Sunshine State" to recover.  

Can you imagine how fun his job was...being the Governor of a State that got hit by Bonnie,Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne yes that's right, 5 hurricanes within 6 weeks?

Also I should mention Chief Meterologist,Tom Terry, from WFTV was absolutely amazing. All throughout the storms all of WFTV staff were pretty incredible. They provided 24 hour coverage and information.

Tom Terry used some special equipment brought in from Oklahoma, to track all the storms and the entire team provided us neighborhood by neighborhood reports as to when the worst of the storms would be crossing our path.

They started calling me the "weather lady" because I stayed glued to all the reports. The technology was so advanced that I could see exactly when the worst storms were passing here over grandpa and all the most tornadic cells. We had a portable tv with lots of batteries. I found all the scientific technology and knowledge really interesting.

There was a great deal of tornadic activity, before after and during each of the storms. Those weather radars were lighting up like Christmas trees. Should I mention that we watch thru the hotel window the roof blow off the hotel across from us? And transformers blowing lighting up the sky as far as you could see. Needless to say, we all spent alot of time camped out and getting to know the bathroom of the hotel, pillows in the bathtub, cooler and battery operated tv in hand.

And thank goodness for cell phones, I believe everyone should have them for emergencies. When the power was out over on the Coast, my cousin could call us and get the latest weather reports on when to expect the worst headed that way. Cell phones were definately the most reliable form of communication during that time and the television/radio broadcasts were all on top of things.

I should thank all the organizations and all the states and countries that poured in truckloads with supplies,water and electrical trucks all lined up coming down the highway, immediately following the storms. Your kindness and assistance was greatly appreciated!

The sense of community that had been gone for many years prior, was restored, neighbors helping neighbors it was truly an experience of a lifetime!

I could probably write a book on this subject and still not cover it all, however WFTV did put together a wonderful 2 disk DVD set, that pretty accurately shows what really happened here. It has been set up that all sales of the DVD's will go to all the non profit organizations to help build up the hurricane supplies and funds that were depleted.

Can't forget to mention all the hurricane babies being born 9 months after the hurricanes. Oh no..not me..I have two and that's plenty.

Latest forecast, tropical storm out in the gulf and hurricane plane will go out tommorrow to check it out for us all...oh boy! Here we go again...it's hurricane season already.