Hello, everyone!
For those of you who don't know, I live on the east coast of Florida. Hurricane Milton is heading our way and my town is currently in the center of the cone. Being on this side of the state, the impacts are not expected to be as devastating as on the west coast but it's expected to still be a Cat 1 or 2 when it reaches us so power outages are likely. I wanted to give y'all a heads up in case I'm not able to post for a few days.
We are not in an evacuation zone so will be riding out the storm at home. We've done all we can in preparation. My sister-in-law has lived on this coast her entire life and is also the daughter of a Meteorologist. She takes no chances. Also, I have two kindles fully charged and ready to go. I know my priorities. ;-)
For any of you impacted by Helene or in the path of Milton, my prayers and good wishes are with you. Please check in when you can once the danger has passed. I will do the same.
Hugs,
~PJ
praying for your safety.
ReplyDeletedenise
I've said a prayer. I hope you remain safe and sound.
ReplyDeleteWe are in the foothills of NE TN about 60 miles from Asheville, NC.
ReplyDeleteOur area got much the same rain as did western NC. The devastation is really hard to fathom. We are Red Cross volunteers and worked a shelter the first week and are working a resource center with FEMA and other agencies this week. Next week we will be doing casework. Bridges and roads are gone. On some, even the road bed is no longer there. Along the river, houses, barns animals, and farm equipment were swept away. In many communities on the river people will not be able to rebuild because the land is just gone. Sadly, few people had flood insurance because they were not in the flood plain. The river went from 50 to 100 yards wide to a mile wide in some places. Mountain communities are cut off with supplies being brought in by raft, helicopter, horse (mule, goat), and on foot. It will be months before good access will be opened up. Those communities have no power, water, or cell service. Even those with generators are out of luck because their fuel has or will soon run out. They are having difficulty getting food, medicine, and medical care. The weather is turning cold and one can hope snow does not come early. Sadly, some victims of the flood, may never be found. Our trip to the town where I was a librarian used to take 20 minutes. Now, a big bridge and 2+ miles of road are gone and the only way around takes at least an hour.That is the town of Erwin, TN which took serious damage. It cut across 4 lanes of the interstate and took out the bridge over the interstate there. The immediate response of the communities to jump in and help has been overwhelming.
Now if we could just stop the rumors about what the government is doing or rather the charges they are not doing things would be so much better. The National Guard and active duty troops were here rather soon clearing roads, helping search, and delivering supplies. FEMA is here giving the initial assistance and taking applications for additional help. The mountains and single road access to so many communities is making it difficult to get to people. This has all be so much more than anyone could have imagined.
My brother-in-law lives in Orlando, FL and thankfully didn't take too much damage. The state's west coast has taken quite a beating. I hope you and yours have fared as well.