10/13/2026
Two Years After the Storm
Two years have passed since an EF-2 tornado that spawned from the Hurricane Milton weather system tore through our neighborhood on October 9, 2024, passing directly over our home and changing our lives forever. I thought I understood violent weather after surviving two Florida hurricanes. I was wrong. Roaring winds exceeding 120 mph brought a level of terror no person should ever experience.
Thanks to Steve Weagle’s last minute warning telling us to prepare for the Tornado heading in our direction we were on heightened alert. Moments later the power flickered off and the frightening, massive freight-train roar engulfed everything. I only had time to grab my wife Carmen, pulling her to the safest room in our home and lay on top of her, praying for the storm to end. My mind racing through thoughts no one should have to face wondering if our roof would peel away taking us with, or crash down on top of us.
Stepping outside in total shock, we found devastation everywhere. Our enormous backyard tree lay in the front yard street. Roofing material of every kind, a neighbor’s giant playset, mailboxes, pool furniture, toys, and thousands of concrete roof tiles littered the lawn and street. An SUV across the street was moved fifteen feet, my car was destroyed by hundreds of debris holes, and eight inches of water covered the street. Our home and our immediate neighbor’s home suffered severe damage from the direct impact, with others along the storm path showing selective and random damage.
Florida Fish and Wildlife officers and local police arrived quickly, followed by firefighters, the National Guard, and FEMA assessors. Kind neighbors and first responders offered genuine compassion, checking in on us repeatedly throughout the day.
The National Guard responders offered MREs joking that it might be healthier to eat the meat thawing in the fridge. Specialized first responders walked through our home making sure our CBS home was still safe to inhabit. Heavy machinery cleared the roadway, piling debris five feet high along the sidewalks on both sides of the road and officials from local and federal agencies set up a security parameter and frequent patrols to ward off the looters.
Sadly, gawkers drove past for days filming our suffering, making sure to stop and film the two FEMA Search Assessment Markings on our garage door, while opportunistic roofers and insurance adjusters slithered out of the bushes and invaded our privacy with promises and false estimates, placing greed above people.
Fortunately, we were prepared, lucky that we decided to evaluate our storm equipment thinking our preparation was only for testing purposes knowing the Hurricane was 150 miles west.
I survived a week without power living off our generator as crews from across the country and Canada replaced shattered concrete power poles, downed lines, and transformers, while Carmen was graciously welcomed into the home of our dear friends who always had a warm meal for me when I found time to escape the carnage.
Thankfully, our insurance company, Edison Property Insurance, sent their top adjuster, fresh off his response to Hurricane Helene two weeks earlier who delivered the needed support quickly as promised.
Through the despair, Carmen and I discovered resilience. Friends brought food, shelter, and comfort, becoming family when we needed them most.
Two years later, we remain grateful and thankful to God. The storm took much, but it taught us something enduring: even when life feels shattered, kindness, preparation, faith, and perseverance can help us rebuild.
