Second Story Views

The aftermath of Hurricane Idalia left our island paradise in shambles. 

The water from the gulf breached the dunes and flooded the island. Three hours before the King tide, the streets and driveways were under a river of gulf and rain water, with only mailboxes seen as the excess water entered the buildings.

The fear of water rising in the next few hours worried the non-evactuees.  Luckily, the extreme high tide did not add to the flooding.

When the water receded, the dunes were washed away with the sand covering the  roads and parking lots.  

Many houses were inundated with water, including ours.  The extent of the damage couldn’t really be seen until the morning in the light of the day,

As I walked to our home the next morning,  the sun was shining. But it was such a dreadful, depressing stroll.  Trash and yard debris was scattered everywhere. Even a section of neighbors’ roof was laying on the road with another section crammed between two homes.

The inside of our home had standing water and smelled awful. The first story of the structure was inhabitable. Several pieces of furniture were ruined, along with miscellaneous items in closets.

As I entered the backyard, I caught sight of colors in the hibiscus.  On this day, the plant bloomed with not just one or two flowers but four beautiful flowers. 

An anomaly for the plant since it was the first time ever that 4 flowers blossomed at the same time.

As I marveled at the blooms, I was reassured that everything was going to be alright.

Time to move and buy new stuff.