I appreciate your profound words so much. I too grew up in South Florida. 25 years ago my family and I moved to western North Carolina. We are now experiencing the devastation of hurricane Helene. We were very lucky to only lose power for a week. We never lost water but are still under a boil water and conserve order. No internet/tv. Imagine that! Lol. But in comparison with the many many people who have lost their homes, can't find or have lost their loved ones these are true tragedies. I am tremendously grateful for the support we've received from FEMA, and other parts of the country and Canada. I want to kiss every lineman out there working tirelessly. I hope that soon you will hear from all of your friends and family in Florida. Stay safe!
I had made a prior decision to leave Florida for good in July and put my house on the market, then had to evacuate for both Helene and Milton (the original plan was to head to Asheville). Watching my beloved St. Petersburg get hammered last night was pretty hard. I left behind my daughter and 93YO mother, who refused to go. I will never understand those who choose to ride it out when the devastation and the aftermath is so horrible. I’m now in Charlotte and feeling very battered and weary just from waiting and watching this unfold. I am 63 years old and a native Floridian, having grown up in Orlando, Gainesville and St. Petersburg. My heart will never not hurt for the increasing devastation today and still to come.
I sat out hurricanes in Winter Haven growing up, Beth. It was hard enough, but until I owned a house in the path, I really had no clue the true impact. I hope you can sell and go. Florida has its beauties but storms aren't among them if everything you care about is in its path.
We are sheltering in place, Julia, and thankfully Mother Nature's unruly son, Hurricane Milton has given us a respite at 4:15am Thursday October 10 and I can still connect on my phone. The electricity is off, and who knows when it will return for us.
We're between rain bans and thankfully north of Tampa. At the same time, my heart aches. For two decades, we had a real estate business in Bonita Springs between Naples and Ft Myers.
I'm sending blessings out to those experiencing it now.
My brother in law had a home on the beach near Naples and sold it about ten years ago. They moved away from the ocean. My wife visited them in their new Florida home last Spring and was taken to the site of the old home. It was gone. Neighbors were rebuilding. I wonder if those who were rebuilding lost again.
So many moved there because of what DeSantis promised the rich. Yet Florida is home to so very many poor, disadvantaged, old and crippled. I wonder how he's going to treat them when he has so many multi-b/millionaires first in line.
My thoughts and prayers are with those facing this now; I’m In the UK and just awoke at 3am, the first thought to enter my head was Florida. I can only imagine the fear, trying to keep family, pets, livestock safe, but knowing you face a life changed forever, if you live to see the next sunrise. A few short hours which will devastate so many. Thinking of you, your cousin and all those in the path of the storm.
All too often we forget about the pets, the livestock, all the creatures who have nowhere to go and have to fend for themselves. They didn’t sign up for this. Very hard to embrace the magnitude of all of it.
Thank you for this post, Julia. It is so tragic what has happened with both Helene and Milton. And I totally agree that politicizing this event is horrid. I wish people would wake up and know that because we are harming the environment, more violent storms make their presence known.
My thoughts are with you and those in Florida. I grew up in England, Florida, and Georgia and live back in the UK now. I still have family in Florida (an uncle and aunt in the Tampa area and my mother, baby sister, and stepfather in north Florida). Like you, I don’t recall the storms being this bad back then (for me, the 90s and 00s). It was a day off school, power outages with board games and candles, and heavy winds and rain. My Mum and co got off lightly with Helene in that they only had a smashed car window but with more storms coming and promised I just feel a bit helpless. Thanks for writing this piece. 🫶🏻
I fear most for those that the insurance companies have left in the lurch and utterly without assistance. Even those who believe in smaller government understand that the only choice those people have right now is FEMA and government assistance, as the private sector has left too many defenseless.
I grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas, and have been in the middle of two Cat 4 and one Cat 5 hurricane. The Cat 5 was Celia in 1970 which utterly leveled that town. I understand the terror and the unimaginable devastation. You think you can understand the devastation just from pictures, but actually witnessing it is an excruciating surprise.
When Donna hit us in 1962, we had 3500 laying hens so terrified that they never laid eggs again. We had to cull the entire flock and start over. People really don't get how such a storm rips everything apart and leaves so much behind.
During one of these three hurricanes ( can’t remember which one now) the eye went over us, I remember being amused that the poor seagulls circling around flying around the wall trying to stay out of the wind. Thousands of them really really confused.
"To politicize such terrible events for gain is evil beyond imagining" -- Exactly. It's heartbreaking madness and I absolutely can't understand it. As Asheville NC shows, none of us are exempt from the dangers of climate upheaval. May we pay much more attention to those who are doing all they can to help.
I appreciate your profound words so much. I too grew up in South Florida. 25 years ago my family and I moved to western North Carolina. We are now experiencing the devastation of hurricane Helene. We were very lucky to only lose power for a week. We never lost water but are still under a boil water and conserve order. No internet/tv. Imagine that! Lol. But in comparison with the many many people who have lost their homes, can't find or have lost their loved ones these are true tragedies. I am tremendously grateful for the support we've received from FEMA, and other parts of the country and Canada. I want to kiss every lineman out there working tirelessly. I hope that soon you will hear from all of your friends and family in Florida. Stay safe!
Thanks Nicole. I am going to wait for a while so that my call doesn’t impose.
I had made a prior decision to leave Florida for good in July and put my house on the market, then had to evacuate for both Helene and Milton (the original plan was to head to Asheville). Watching my beloved St. Petersburg get hammered last night was pretty hard. I left behind my daughter and 93YO mother, who refused to go. I will never understand those who choose to ride it out when the devastation and the aftermath is so horrible. I’m now in Charlotte and feeling very battered and weary just from waiting and watching this unfold. I am 63 years old and a native Floridian, having grown up in Orlando, Gainesville and St. Petersburg. My heart will never not hurt for the increasing devastation today and still to come.
I sat out hurricanes in Winter Haven growing up, Beth. It was hard enough, but until I owned a house in the path, I really had no clue the true impact. I hope you can sell and go. Florida has its beauties but storms aren't among them if everything you care about is in its path.
We are sheltering in place, Julia, and thankfully Mother Nature's unruly son, Hurricane Milton has given us a respite at 4:15am Thursday October 10 and I can still connect on my phone. The electricity is off, and who knows when it will return for us.
We're between rain bans and thankfully north of Tampa. At the same time, my heart aches. For two decades, we had a real estate business in Bonita Springs between Naples and Ft Myers.
I'm sending blessings out to those experiencing it now.
For you unaffected, please reach out to help.
I know that area well, Donna. I am so glad you stlll have power. WE forget how much we take the basics for granted when truly they are luxuries.
My brother in law had a home on the beach near Naples and sold it about ten years ago. They moved away from the ocean. My wife visited them in their new Florida home last Spring and was taken to the site of the old home. It was gone. Neighbors were rebuilding. I wonder if those who were rebuilding lost again.
I think much of Florida is lost.
So many moved there because of what DeSantis promised the rich. Yet Florida is home to so very many poor, disadvantaged, old and crippled. I wonder how he's going to treat them when he has so many multi-b/millionaires first in line.
My thoughts and prayers are with those facing this now; I’m In the UK and just awoke at 3am, the first thought to enter my head was Florida. I can only imagine the fear, trying to keep family, pets, livestock safe, but knowing you face a life changed forever, if you live to see the next sunrise. A few short hours which will devastate so many. Thinking of you, your cousin and all those in the path of the storm.
All too often we forget about the pets, the livestock, all the creatures who have nowhere to go and have to fend for themselves. They didn’t sign up for this. Very hard to embrace the magnitude of all of it.
Thank you for this post, Julia. It is so tragic what has happened with both Helene and Milton. And I totally agree that politicizing this event is horrid. I wish people would wake up and know that because we are harming the environment, more violent storms make their presence known.
So true. But people will stoop to just about anything.
Prayers for you and your family. Unimaginable what you all must be going through.
My thoughts are with you and those in Florida. I grew up in England, Florida, and Georgia and live back in the UK now. I still have family in Florida (an uncle and aunt in the Tampa area and my mother, baby sister, and stepfather in north Florida). Like you, I don’t recall the storms being this bad back then (for me, the 90s and 00s). It was a day off school, power outages with board games and candles, and heavy winds and rain. My Mum and co got off lightly with Helene in that they only had a smashed car window but with more storms coming and promised I just feel a bit helpless. Thanks for writing this piece. 🫶🏻
I fear most for those that the insurance companies have left in the lurch and utterly without assistance. Even those who believe in smaller government understand that the only choice those people have right now is FEMA and government assistance, as the private sector has left too many defenseless.
😭😱 I have heard of too many cases of people losing everything especially those who are not as “economical privileged.”
Me too. My folks might have done moderately well, but too many who have no coverage and now nothing at all are going to be struggling for years.
Just awful. Sending love to all affected ❤️
Praying for all those affected by this horrific hurricane 🙏
I grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas, and have been in the middle of two Cat 4 and one Cat 5 hurricane. The Cat 5 was Celia in 1970 which utterly leveled that town. I understand the terror and the unimaginable devastation. You think you can understand the devastation just from pictures, but actually witnessing it is an excruciating surprise.
When Donna hit us in 1962, we had 3500 laying hens so terrified that they never laid eggs again. We had to cull the entire flock and start over. People really don't get how such a storm rips everything apart and leaves so much behind.
During one of these three hurricanes ( can’t remember which one now) the eye went over us, I remember being amused that the poor seagulls circling around flying around the wall trying to stay out of the wind. Thousands of them really really confused.
"To politicize such terrible events for gain is evil beyond imagining" -- Exactly. It's heartbreaking madness and I absolutely can't understand it. As Asheville NC shows, none of us are exempt from the dangers of climate upheaval. May we pay much more attention to those who are doing all they can to help.