When you become a Floridian, you develop a solid understanding of the danger that comes with hurricanes. You prepare for hurricane season by stocking up on water and batteries and Jim Cantore starts to feel like a familiar friend. Unfortunately, preparations are not always enough. Sometimes, no matter how intensely we prepare, plan and monitor a storm, we are still unable to prevent the damage that follows.
Hurricane Helene made landfall near Perry, Florida, last week as a Category 4 storm. The destruction and devastation from Helene were visible not only in Florida but throughout a large stretch of the Southeastern United States. Now, we are faced with another powerful storm set to make landfall along Florida’s Gulf Coast. As we brace for impact from Hurricane Milton, our staff and the communities we serve are still reeling from Helene.
Sarah, an LSF program director in Pinellas County, is no stranger to Florida’s storms. Having lived in her first-floor apartment for the past eight years, Sarah has weathered numerous hurricanes. On the night Hurricane Helene hit, she did not feel scared.
“I had cooked a nice meal, we were playing cards and everything was fine,” Sarah said. “Around 10:30 p.m., I went to lay down and that’s when I heard my husband and grandson screaming from the living room.”
Sarah rushed out to find water pouring in under her sliding glass patio door. Within minutes, the entire three-bedroom apartment was flooded. Sarah’s pets were frantic, her husband was unplugging electronics and time seemed to speed up.
Within an hour, the water in Sarah’s apartment was up to the family’s knees. Her daughter, who lived in the apartment upstairs, was safe from the floodwaters, so the family fled to higher ground. When Sarah’s grandson opened the door to leave, water surged in so quickly that they struggled to shut it.
While Sarah and her family spent a sleepless night in her daughter’s apartment, they watched as many of their neighbors huddled together on the stairwell, trying to stay dry while their homes became uninhabitable.
When the sun came up and the water receded, Sarah and her family returned downstairs to assess the damage.
“We lost everything,” Sarah said.
From important documents to a prized record collection to a new couch still being paid off, the family’s belongings were reduced to waterlogged memories. As Sarah and her husband tried to gather dry clothes and pack what they could, they found dead fish and frogs scattered across the apartment. Their home now resembled a shoreline after red tide.
Despite her own losses, Sarah worried about the people she served. She expressed concern for her coworkers and the families she worked with, many of whom were already struggling.
In the days since Hurricane Helene, the family’s two cars have been declared total losses. They used insurance money to purchase a car to share so they could continue working. The apartment they’ve called home for nearly a decade has been marked with a notice to vacate. Sarah and her husband are still staying with her daughter and the children are sleeping on the couch. With Hurricane Milton approaching, Sarah fears the new car could also be lost.
Her family has already evacuated to Georgia and Sarah and her husband are preparing to leave soon. They plan to fight traffic heading north out of Florida on Tuesday and sleep in their car at a rest stop while they wait out the hurricane.
“I know I’m fortunate that we only lost stuff but the emotional toll is hard,” Sarah said through tears. “I never expected to experience homelessness at this stage in my life.”
Sarah expressed her gratitude toward her LSF family, who have continued to support her during this difficult time. From giving her rides to work to helping her find an affordable car, her team has stepped up just as LSF strives to do for its clients every day. Sarah knows she is not alone in her struggle.
Many of our staff members and the families we serve have experienced mass devastation due to Hurricane Helene. Now, less than two weeks later, they face the same reality with Hurricane Milton, which is currently a Category 5 storm in the Gulf of Mexico. Much of Central Florida will feel the impact of this storm and for many, it will be a second battering with little time to recover from the first.
At LSF, we are asking for donations as we work to provide continued relief to those impacted by these historic weather events. Your generosity will have a direct impact on Florida families fighting to rebuild their lives. We implore you to stand with us as we support our communities and band together in the face of destruction.
All donations to the LSF Hurricane Relief Fund will directly aid the recovery of the children and families we serve, as well as our front-line employees who have been adversely impacted. To join us in extending a hand to your neighbors, visit https://www.lsfnet.org/hurrican-relief-fund/
*The name of the LSF employee mentioned in this story has been changed to protect their identity.
