Well, we have electric as you can see. We got it at 5:40am and I was happy! Mom woke me when she heard the fan buzzing around. I've been up since then and now I’m going to tell my story living thru and end of Wilma.
Monday morning I woke up at 6:45am because the fear of loosing power. I jumped into the shower to take my last hot shower until we get electric. I was scared to death as it was coming. I sat on the couch with the blanket around me cause I got the chills and just stared at the TV. The sliding glass doors in the porch were moving so I had to open the door to let some of the pressure go off. As this was going on, the porch decides to start flying away. Dad and I put up the shudders in the porch while we got 100+ mph winds before the eye crossed us. We lost electric at 10am.
The eye came by and all calmness came over. We all walked outside to see what damage happened and what fell. It lasted for 15 to 30 minutes and then the strong gusts came. I sat back on the couch listening to the radio at this point [and portable TV at times] and I kept seeing light in between the front door around the frame. I walked over there and see if I closed it right when I went outside. All was fine. When I pushed it back again, the door wanted to pop back in. Because the wind was so strong, it wanted to break the door down. Dad and I are holding the door so it won't break down and Mom is holding fort at the sliding glass door. It lasted for a good hour and a half and it died down. I was so happy cause I was so scared it wasn't funny.
The neighbors all came out and surveyed the damage done by Wilma. Oh. my. god. Is the only thing that came out of my mouth. The damage down to were I lived was nothing like last year. Every tree fell to the point it was blocking the streets. Fences were down, porches gone, trees non existent, shingles from the roof, debris, etc.
I come inside for a jacket cause it was cold, I notice some black stuff on my windowsill. Water had come up from underneath the window from the shutters. My carpet was soaked, the blanket soaked and a smelly, cold, moldy room. Ugh.
At this point, neighbors were helping neighbors. We've cleared the road by removing the trees, cooking for one another and keeping each other occupied. There was even a 7 ft tree laying in the road. We were trapped inside the community.
Day 2 to me was a blur. We went to my store to survey what happened and sight see at the same time. My store was a mad house. Everything was ruined [well, perishable] and lines were crazy long. We just got 4 gallons of water and some AA batteries for the flashlight.
We come home and our neighbor next door said that a distribution place was going to be at Quiet Waters and Pompano Harness. Mom and I went to Quiet Waters to wait for ice. We got there around 11:45am with gates opening at noon. Well, nothing happened at noon. The cop said 2pm. Nothing. At 2:30, we left as the 15th car in line. As we later find out on TV, the haulers couldn't leave Homestead Air Force base because of lack of communication. My neighbor who told me the news went and stayed to get only 2 gallons of water. He came home at 6pm. I got 4 gallons of water quicker than he did even though I paid for it. Curfew at 7pm to a pitch black parking lot.
Day 3 I didn't know if I should come into work or not because of no communication. I just went to work and asked what they want me to do. I was a cashier for some point and then I ran around the store doing go-backs going down the same isle 50 gazillion times. Customers kept asking me when we are getting ice and water. I told them the same thing over and over again: Since there is no communication, we don't know what we are getting at the store. When a truck pulls up out at back and opens the door, we peek thru to see what we got in. Another good one is when are we going to get electric: When the lights come on we will know we have electric. DUH!!!
I called Geico on claims on Mom's car and mine. Mom's has scratches all over the car while I have scratches and dents on my roof from probably trees landing on it without my knowledge. Nov 3rd is our inspection.
Day 4 We got electric. I took a nice hot shower and just stood there for awhile. I tried to hit up some gas stations cause I'm on a half while Dad is on E. Dead ends on that so I just go to the store and work. We don't have cable but who cares, I have light!
Dad comes home from work with some goodies. FEMA food. Those things are the coolest things around. They aren't those ready to eat meals, they are lunch ones. We tore one open to eat it.
I have pictures of EVERYTHING that will be shown soon.
In racing news....
Someone fill me in.
I'm glad President Bush didn't
meet me. He would have a mouthful.
We're
rebuliding all over again.
Jeb
accepts blame on slow aid to us
Cingular to give
free goodies. If you didn't already know that the first time...
