A Personal Account of Surviving 3 Florida Hurricanes in 2 Months
Ever wonder what happens during a hurricane? I know first hand. In 2004 we had three hurricanes hit us over about a two month period here in central Florida. It was a history making summer.
August 12, 2004 was a busy day. Hurricane Charley was coming and it was time to start planning. It was also time for the pit in my stomach to start growing. You see, we were in our RV for the summer, the last place you want to be during a hurricane. We knew we’d have to evacuate, we just weren’t sure exactly when; that would be made perfectly clear soon. The next two days were exhausting. Planning for a hurricane is tiring and a bit traumatic. Do you know what is like to pack your belongings as if you know your home is going to be destroyed?
On August 15, 2004 I was watching the noon news. Hurricane Charley had been predicted to just clip us very late that night so we were more or less breathing a sigh of relief. We weren’t sure we had to evacuate after all. Things changed fast. The weatherman had just said that although the official forecasted path had not changed he felt the storm was changing direction, and heading right for us. The pit in my stomach grew to grapefruit size instantly.
By late afternoon, we were getting tornado watch bulletins as the storm approached. The sky darkened and the winds picked up. Having been caught off guard a bit, we were scrambling to secure our little RV from Charley’s wrath. During our furtive rush as the weather steadily declined, suddenly a police cruiser was slowly driving through our RV park announcing that there was a mandatory evacuation effective immediately. We had been ordered to leave our home, now.
The family next door had just packed their crying kids and left for a hotel. We weren’t far behind. I was faced with the heartbreaking decision of whether or not to bring our two beloved pets. Not knowing if they permitted pets at the hotel and with no time to find out, I reluctantly took the chance and left them home. I’ll never do that again.
It was now about 8:30PM. In the hotel room, we were glued to the TV as we tracked Charley’s progress. The weatherman was now naming the cities and towns that were in the hurricane’s path. It was clear that at some point our city would be on that fated list.
The winds were starting to howl. Rain was coming down in sheets. By about 9:30PM what we feared became reality. The weatherman listed Charley’s path, and we were next.
About 20 minutes later the lights flickered then went out. No TV to warn us of what’s coming next. In pitch black, flashlights started going on in our room as fast as we could find them. Outside our window a traffic sign whipped back and forth as if being shaken by an enraged driver. It was raining sideways with the force of the winds. Our windows started to whistle as the hurricane barreled through. We could hear tree branches snapping and debris was flying everywhere. After daring to crack our window a little, I put my hand out and the rain stung hard like needles into my skin. No cars dared to venture out, it was a ghost town outside.
All I could think about was how much I regretted leaving my pets at home. But there was nothing I could do. It was way too dangerous for anyone to drive.
What seemed like eternity was more like about 3 hours before the storm completely passed over us. By now it was early the next morning and still very dark. We wanted so much to go home and check on things but knew better. Downed trees can cause downed power lines. If you drive over a live power line in the road, it is usually fatal. So we stayed the night, getting no sleep as we anxiously awaited dawn.
As soon as it was light enough we were packed and on our way back to our RV. Remember the pit in my stomach? It had now taken over my entire body. I couldn’t think of eating as the stress just got worse and worse.
Trying to get back to the RV park was like driving through an obstacle course. Our normal route was riddled with trees blocking the road and dangerous downed power lines everywhere. In most cases, police had not yet discovered these hazards as they had just started to patrol. Eventually, we made the turn down the road to the park. The tension in my body made me feel like I was going to explode.
Were the pets alright? Were they even still there or did the storm knock a hole in the RV and they ran in panic? Was the RV still standing? Did a tree fall in it, crushing it like a soda can? They had reports of tornados during the storm. Did a tornado disintegrate the RV and everything (including our pets)? These questions raced through my mind as we got closer to the park.
Rounding the last curve, the first thing I saw was the huge old oak tree next door. The tree was no longer gracing the park with its beauty, but lay destroyed. From my view it appeared it had taken our RV with it. “Oh God” was all I could say. As we got closer my fear turned into instant joy as I saw that the tree had miraculously fallen in between us and our neighbor, doing little damage.
I couldn’t open the car door fast enough. Leaping over huge tree branches and debris everywhere I rushed inside the RV to see where our pets were. There they were, scared but fine. I was so happy I almost cried.
The next several days were miserable. No electricity meant no air conditioning or even a fan. In 90 plus degree heat and high humidity we spent our days cleaning up the storm’s unbelievable mess. Hot and tired, relief could come only in quick cool showers and cold drinks. The nights brought little to cool things down, sleep was almost nonexistent.
About 3 days later we finally got electricity back. People actually clapped and cheered when they saw the power trucks coming. They were our heroes of the day. Life could now return to normal, although it would take awhile. Charley had done a lot of damage including the complete destruction of someone else’s RV. Well, at least after working in the sun and heat, we could retreat inside to the air conditioned haven we had so sorely missed.
Hurricane Charley made landfall as a category 4 storm on August 15, 2004. Maximum sustained winds were at 145 mph.
A few weeks later, on September 10, 2004 hurricane Frances would strike. Her winds reached 145 mph also but at landfall she had been downgraded to a category 2.
Then again on September 29, 2004 hurricane Jeanne hit. She was a category 3 and her winds blew up to 120 mph.
That summer we had to evacuate three times to escape the hurricanes. From when I first packed the car with our precious belongings in August, I never unpacked them until that October. We were constantly on alert for any oncoming bad weather that entire summer.
And yes, the next two times we evacuated, our beloved pets came with us, and they always will.
