Channel: cottonceena

Category: Entertainment

Tags: evacuationfloodsdamageshelterfloridaseptember 10hurricanekandaceirmamiami2017cottonceenahurricane irma florida miami 2017 septemberwind

Description: This is the story of how a hurricane effects peoples' lives from the first warning a week prior, until the day after. This storm was one of the largest and strongest at 185 mph ever in the Atlantic. The stores ran out of canned goods and water leaving empty shelves, and gasoline ran out several days before it hit. I was in a mandatory evacuation area but could not get out as the airline flights were all booked, then cancelled and the expressways were not moving even though they rerouted all the lanes northbound and traffic was at a standstill. People were paying anything for plywood to board up their windows. Some waited in long lines overnight just to learn that the store ran out of it before their turn, then fights broke out. The evacuation shelters filled up quickly and began turning people away three days before the storm arrived. I was lucky to get in one ( 2:15 ) where there were over a thousand people - all camped out on a hard floor in a high school cafeteria in a 3' x 6' space for 3 days and 3 nights with no beds or chairs. Many more people were on the floor of the gymnasium and even in the halls. We had with us the Red Cross, National Guard, local police, and medical personnel, as during a hurricane there is no 911 to call, no one comes out, no police calls, no paramedics. You're on your own with no electricity if you stay home.