As far as hurricane's go Jacksonville is actually pretty well located. Usually any big storms that are headed our direction tend to fizzle out or turn because of that, East wind? What's it called? Anyway.... they rarely get hit very hard with anything but a tropical storm but it's totally possible, anything is possible! :)
We happen to be about 20 miles inland and away from any major water ways. Oddly enough, when we were looking at houses we didn't consider ANY of this. I mean, there is a VERY clear evacuation map, it goes A-E-ish with A being the closes to waterways. As the storm worsens, the letter that are recommended to evacuate go up. For this storm is was A and B that were recommended to get out of dodge. We aren't even on the map, there's kind of a sweet spot and we happen to be in it. That of course, is only for the flooding and wind is a huge factor that is more wide reaching. Mental note, check the flood maps when ever moving!
Matthew really wanted house on the water with a dock. They are amazing, pricey, but amazing... but his commute would have been way longer and I didn't love the idea. Even more happy about that now!
Anyway, this one was headed right for us, it was going to be awful. They said we would be out of power for a minimum of four days if our power was effected, and that was almost a guarantee. I commenced the ice cream eating. Stat. You know, just in case.
We had a couple loaves of bread, plenty of foods that were bad enough for you to last for several days. We had six cases of water already (Six! Why do we have six cases of water?!). Greyson and I put a bunch of water bottles in the freezer, we had plenty of room since we haven't built up the freezer stash yet.
We were ready!
Then I got a phone call from our Sister Missionaries in our Branch. The sister missionaries in At. Augustine got evacuated up to these sister's apartment and then they got the call that they were actually too close to the river and they were being evacuated. We had four amazing girls who needed somewhere to spend the night for a few days. We were fortunate to have a last name that starts with "A" so we were one of the first calls! And well, what the heck, let's do this!
We ran over to get some air mattresses from someone else and then we set up the two spare rooms upstairs ("Jessica's room" and the exercise room). It worked out really well, the girls had their own space.
My kids LOVED it. They loved them! Over all I think it really was an amazing blessing to have those girls come stay with us but but the boys LOVED having people to talk to and play with! Those girls really did a lot for my own personal experience with missionaries. It was so sad to see them pack up and go when they left but it was good that all of their apartments were safe.
While they were here they helped us sort Legos (on our never-ending quest to reassemble Lego sets), organize the game closet and cut out Halloween decorations. They are not used to sitting around and can't watch TV so we put them to work, errrr service! Along with having to listen to Asher's terrible jokes and draw pictures and play "extreme tic-tac-toe" which one of them taught Ian.
Asher's best joke "Why does the piggie go to the store?" then "To get some beans!!!" (Laughs) "... only he didn't need beans because he already had some!" (laughs hysterically.)
While they were staying with us I took some pictures and sent them by text back to their families. I had no idea what they were hearing from the mission leaders but I know if it were my child out there I would want to know what's up! A few of them text back that they were kept informed and were very well aware of what's going on but they were happy to see their girls smiling and doing well which was nice.
We buckled in for the storm - at one point we had the pool draining as quickly as the water was coming down... for hours... It was pretty scary outside so I just pulled all the blinds and left them closed and we played in our own little world for a while. I wasn't ever really nervous or scared and neither were the kids.
At the last minute, right before us, the hurricane actually stopped following the coast line and continued to go north which actually gave it a little bit of space between us. This is a crazy good thing, because if it go any closer it would have been even worse on into land where we are.
Disney has ever only closed up shop three previous times in history... twice for hurricanes. This was the fourth time.
We didn't even lose power.
Some of the neighborhood lost some trees and branches but over all I am not aware of any major issues around us.
The coastal areas and St. Augustine it's a bit different. A lot of houses along the beach lost their bottom floors and hd the back of the houses pushed through the garages in the front of the house. There is a big debate about "sea walls" to protect the homes right now. But hey, you build on a beach... I think you know the risks, as scary and as bad as they may be. The environmentalist are opposed to the wall, some of them even live on the beach. Anyway, I find it interesting because they have fought for years to make it so the general public can't access the beaches behind the homes. You can't get there unless you park below and walk up so it's basically their own private beaches and they want the city to supplement the cost of the wall. All these things I never thought about before!
The missionaries were so excited to be able to go out and do service for people. The Mormon's Helping Hands has a base out of our church and they got shipments of household goods, food, chainsaws, gloves and all kinds of things. The girls helped unload trucks and have moved on from there but I need to talk to them and see what they have been doing. Because our church is a "home base" they only had church services for the volunteers before they went on their way to clean up. The plan is to resume church services this coming weekend and the home bases are moving up north now to some of the areas hit harder.
So, got that huge storm out of the way... Hopefully we won't have to deal with another one!
I am telling people it's an "art installment" so they have full warning when they remain up the rest of the year. What else and I going to hang on the wall?
Sister Gibb, Sister Brian, Sister Colson and Asher's favorite Sister Pennock.
Boy did he have stars in his eyes for that girl!
Boy did he have stars in his eyes for that girl!
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