Literally all the diapers and wipes we could find on Monday between two stores.
If you never read one of my blog posts again, please make this the one you finish. I beg you.
It’s been a tumultuous few weeks down here in the Florida Panhandle. From real estate deals put on hold, to hurricane prep and escape, volunteering in the sweltering humidity and even a 5 hour stint in the ER with dehydration, this has been a week for the books for us.
We are so fortunate here in Santa Rosa Beach that our home was virtually untouched by the storm, but our neighbors 25 miles to the east have not been so fortunate. Keep reading for some real, non-media hyped stories of what’s happening here, some beautiful stories of hope and community and a few ways that you can help.
What’s been most disturbing to David and I has been talking to our friends and colleagues in the North and everyone has assumed FEMA and the government are here to save the day and rescuing people. But it’s not like that at all. Yes, there is relief and aid happening here, but damage like this is so severe and complex, they’re saying it’ll be a year or more before this community is rebuilt.
*Pre-hurricane Michael
We arrived last Monday evening to SRB (Santa Rosa Beach) on a business trip. I had a real estate listing that was scheduled to close Wednesday, as well as a client writing an offer on another, and lastly, to list a home as well. But obviously all of that was postponed due to Hurricane Michael. The insurance companies stopped writing policies on all properties in the potential path of the hurricane, which included us – so my deals were pushed back.
We spent the next few days closing up our home, adding hurricane shutters, lugging around patio furniture, buying supplies. Most of the tourists in the area left town, so roads were packed and gas was scarce for a few days – as were most non-perishable grocery items. Late Tuesday night we decided to leave town to Mobile, AL to wait out the storm. Weather was perfect in Mobile, but it was not an overly exciting trip. We had limited hotel choices because we have a large dog (over 40 lbs and it’s difficult to find a place that will allow doggies), also because everything was just so full! We were fortunate to find a place, despite it’s faults.
The hurricane came through pretty quickly. We managed to maintain communication with several friends who stayed for the storm to make sure they were safe and see what was really happening over here. Most people we know never lost power, or lost it very briefly. The biggest complaint we’re hearing in our neck of the woods is no cable tv or internet so we opted to come home Wednesday night as soon as the bridge into town was reopened. Our home never lost power but we were without internet for 5 days. A few downed branches (small ones) and all was well on our little street. Thank God.
*Post Hurricane Michael
We’ve seen video and heard stories that will break your heart. We’ve volunteered with a large organization who is taking daily caravans of supplies to hand out to people who are stuck. And there are a lot of them, my friends. The group is called Heart of Backroads. They’re receiving militia and police escorts as well as have some hired mercenaries along for protection. We, however, have just been volunteering here packing boxes for these groups to take over. We are safe, for those asking. But the sweet people making these trips every day have had some really tough stories to tell. Here are a few of them.
-There’s a Walgreens that has no power so they’ve opened doors to people to buy supplies, despite the lack of power. But that means they can accept cash only. The people who need supplies are out of cash. And they can’t go to an ATM for many reasons, mainly travel difficulties (most roads are impassible) but even if they could, most ATMS have no power either and won’t work. And who carries cash anymore? This story doesn’t just apply to Walgreens, but most other people and places trying to sell things. There is limited to none cell service and certainly no internet so even options like Square Credit Card Readers are out. Not to mention the fact that most affected by the storm here don’t have extra cash. They live paycheck to paycheck and without any work right now, they have little to no money to buy things anyway.
– Insulin and other medical products. Lots of elderly people on medications who can’t even get out of their homes to get refills. Insulin is becoming a really big issue as well because it requires refrigeration. Those who are fortunate enough to even get out to find it, are having to find ice every day to keep it cold.
– No bathrooms for days now. Even the volunteers and first responders are without a way to use the restroom while over there. People are squatting and going in the brush, wherever they can. One of the volunteers I chatted with the other day said he came upon an old man trying to find a way to go to the bathroom and he couldn’t squat, was quite feeble and felt hopeless. So this guy cut a hole in a random chair he found so the old man could sit on it to use the restroom. Such a small thing we all take for granted has now become a luxury. No privacy or dignity involved here either.
– Monday afternoon (5 days after the hurricane) one of the volunteers in our group was over towards Mexico Beach, looking for survivors and he came upon a man looking for help. The man took him back to an area of enormous downed trees and debris, which they had to carefully climb through, only to show him a group of about 30 strangers who had huddled together during the storm and were now trapped. The only way in or out was to be athletic enough to scale this really high debris. There were babies with no diapers or food. No beds, people were sleeping on the ground. No one had eaten since last Wednesday. Just a group of strangers, holding on together, hoping for help. But this is the real problem, people are just simply trapped and it’s difficult for first responders to even get to them.
– As desperation reaches a high, people are starved, hot and traumatized, crime is on the rise. Our new volunteer friends who made the trip over there Monday were nearly robbed. One of their vehicles was approached by two men with guns, demanding that they give them every supply in their truck. The volunteers said, “sure I’ll even give you the truck. Just let me get the keys out of my pocket.” But instead of keys, he pulled his gun and shot above their heads. They hit the ground, and were subdued and our volunteer friends were safe. This is one of several stories like this we’ve heard. The robberies are also starting to happen further West over where we are. There were three home invasions about 20 min North of us yesterday, and police predict that this sort of thing could become more prevalent as desperation rises. We’ve got a big scary dog, as well as a home alarm system so we feel safe at the moment.
Amidst all the turmoil and heartbreak, there are so many, many beautiful stories. I can’t even begin to count the number of restaurants and chefs I know here who have really stepped up. One greatly respected chef has opened a food truck and until further notice will be providing hot meals over there. Tyson Foods has arrived and set-up a huge hot food operation – but they need local volunteers to help staff it every day. Publix has sent several semi-trucks full of relief supplies. Wal-mart has stepped up. The locally owned Chic-fil-A chains have been feeding first responders and survivors every day. The number of people willing to help is just un-imaginable. There have even been over 1000 homes on Airbnb that have been offered up FREE for those displaced by the storm. And the number of my real estate agent friends who are raising money and donating supplies as well as their time, is truly overwhelming – in the best way possible. I’ve seen more love and willingness to share here in the Santa Rosa Beach/Destin area than I could’ve ever imagined.
*How you can help
Perhaps the most important part of this post today is how you can help, even from afar. Locally, many of the needed supplies keep running out. People are turning to Amazon, Costco, Sam’s Club, etc to order supplies and send them here to locals like us.
We’ve created an Amazon Link to make it really easy for you to purchase things and have them sent to us. The prices start at around $5 for items, and anything and everything is appreciated, no matter how small! We will continue to update it with the supplies most in need. CLICK HERE TO SHOP THAT LIST.
If you’re so inclined to make a trip down here to help, we will gladly connect you with some great groups (with police escorts) who can plug you in. They need generators, gas and heavy duty chainsaw equipment and operators. They are also desperately in need of port-a-pottys if you have a connection willing to donate one for a while, let me know. There are also groups who just need people to pack boxes or serve food.
If you’re still here reading, thank you so much for your time. It’s easy to get caught up in the drama unfolding through the news media but what people need is real, actual help and supplies. We feel so blessed to have escaped the storm and want to contribute in any way possible! Please reach out to me if you’d like to help. My email is Stacey@Realtorontheroad.com
Be blessed and grateful!
Stacey and Dave
