Debby, Helene and Milton, a Sheri Nadelman Story
Debby, Helene and Milton. Unless you’ve been living under a rock the last few weeks, these are not the names of your long-lost relatives. They are the named storms that shook my fellow Floridians to our core. We were still cleaning up from Hurricane Helene before Hurricane Milton was upon us. Some lost a little and some lost everything. Mine is just one of the countless stories.
We keep telling each other it could have been worse.
I have been an East Manatee County resident since the early 90’s. I have lived through storms before, but nothing like this. No one expected a storm surge of biblical proportions followed by a Cat 5 hurricane. Jim Cantore of The Weather Channel was in town. We were in the direct line of the storm but luckily not in a flood zone. We prepared as best we could
We keep telling each other it could have been worse.
For so many, the damage began with Hurricane Helene. The St. Petersburg condo where my daughter, Ilana, her boyfriend Ben and his rock star rescue doggie “Bernie Hounders” lived is one of those stories.
In preparation and under a mandatory evacuation order, they sought refuge with me, my Artie and Zeke the Doodle at our house.
The aftermath of Helene was horrific. Their street was flooded and looked like a river. When it was finally safe to drive on the roads, Artie and Ben went to assess the situation. It was not good. Their lovely place was ravaged by the storm and ultimately deemed uninhabitable due to the surge.
The following day, amidst the tears and in a state of shock, we all began the task of the massive clean-up. During the process “Team Benlana” (as I affectionately refer to them) sustained a few bruises, including Ilana’s bump on the head and a black eye and a sprained ankle for Ben. We moved everything we could out to the street adding to the discarded and damaged belongings of the many residents who were sadly experiencing the same. Every day the pile grew. Ilana and Ben were able to salvage less than 1/3 of their belongings as everything else was destroyed by over a foot of water. Furniture, clothing, shoes and food had to be thrown away. It was heartbreaking to see them have to dispose of a lifetime of irreplaceable items including antiques, artwork, and precious mementos. All of which were contaminated and starting to mold.
We keep telling each other it could have been worse.
I was using a wet vac to remove water when I smelled something burning. I noticed the bedroom was starting to fill with smoke. I yelled out and Ben who was within ear shot and without hesitation, jumped into action getting us out and calling 911 before I could wrap my head around what was happening. The quick response by the St. Petersburg Fire department got the situation under control and determined the culprit was a phone charger that had gotten wet and started sparking.
Ben and Bernie Hounders are no strangers to this kind of devastating catastrophe. To hear Ben describe the details of that fateful experience is just chilling. A few years ago, the Indiana native was staying with his mom in her home. One frigid winter’s night as they slept, Bernie’s incessant frantic barking woke them up. Smoke was billowing inside very quickly and flames became visible. Ben and his mom barely made it out – barefoot and with nothing more than the clothes on their backs. Sadly, three cats perished as the house burned to the ground. The cause was a faulty outside wire. It happened so fast that the smoke alarm hadn’t even gone off yet. Because of Bernie, they survived. He now proudly wears a Hero nametag.
Because of the absolute raw kindness and generosity of friends, some family and many strangers, Benlana were able to secure an apartment and some furniture. Amazon gift cards and wish list items keep arriving.
We watched the weather reports with bated breath. We knew we had to get the rest of what we could out of the condo before the next storm hit.
Artie and Ben went to the condo in the evening with trailer in tow to collect the last of what they could salvage and bring to the new apartment. It was raining, lights were out on the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and metal debris in the road caused them to have two tires blow out! They waited on the bridge for help which arrived 6 hours later. Exhausted, they were finally home at 2 a.m.
We knew time was of the essence. Just as they were getting things somewhat settled, Ilana and Ben received the news that they had to evacuate the apartment. Back to my house it was, weary but safe.
We hung the storm shutters and cleared the lanai. We stocked up and got gas for our small generator. We helped neighbors and watched others who packed up and left town.
It was now Wednesday the 9th and Milton was on a direct path to Bradenton/Sarasota. My anxiety was off the charts and I knew I would have to occupy my mind with something other than weather or I would go crazy. I needed to sing!
A neighbor suggested half-jokingly that I do a livestream which turned out to be a great idea!
Perhaps, in my own way, I could help to keep other people focused on anything other than the monster storm we were about to have. I grabbed my guitar and proceeded to do an impromptu “diversion concert” on Facebook. My Artie even hooked me up with a speaker! Not gonna lie…it was a comfort to be able to connect with people who were apparently as anxious as I was. It was a titanic moment (funny/not funny) as I sang until the lights started flickering and we lost power. Milton was wreaking havoc. When the eye was upon us, we had a few eerily calm moments which allowed us to let the dogs out before getting pummeled.
In the aftermath, the devastation the Tampa Bay area sustained is overwhelming. We were fortunate that our house had minimal damage. We lost trees, lanai screens and roof tile. Our power was restored within a few days. Benlana is currently back at their apartment settling into their new lives.
We keep telling each other it could have been worse.
I would be remiss if I didn’t thank the lineman who came from all over the country to help us. As of this writing they are still working all over the area.
As we face the current circumstance and our new normal, Ben’s wise and poignant words pay homage to his personal, but harsh life’s lessons. Having gratitude, staying humble and learning to live with less is empowering and it is freeing. It is only stuff and most of it is just a burden you’ve been carrying around. Stuff can be replaced. He’s so right.
We keep telling each other it could have been worse.
Sheri Nadelman Photos
Sheri Nadelman is an accomplished musician, nature photographer, and a frequent contributor to the Suncoast Post.
Social @sherimakesmusic