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Aftermath of Milton

While it struck just south of Tampa, and spared Tampa the storm surge, it still wreaked havoc from St. Pete to Orlando. My mother lives in Tampa. I drove down last Sunday from Jacksonville and brought her to stay with us until the storm passed. Getting gas to leave was a challenge, as people were making a run on the stations. There was NO gas around her area. We took her down yesterday to survey any damage and do cleanup. She had no power. Cell phone reception was spotty. There were spots here and there that had power as they could get it back up. I will say that she lives in a good neighborhood with good people. They all pulled together and were helping each other. We got there and learned that a cheap skylight that was on her roof for one of her bathrooms had been shattered during the storm. Two of her neighbors got up there, cleaned out the pieces, put a plastic trash bag over it, duct taped it, then screwed in a 2x4 frame to hold the bag on. My wife and I had loaded up my truck with coolers, a cordless pole saw, gas chainsaw, my tools, a cordless drill, a suitcase for her and four 5 gallon gas cans for the trip back home. After arriving and finding that to be the only damage to her house, I got up on the roof, thanks to one of those neighbors lending me a ladder, got measurements, then my wife and I went to Lowes to get plywood, caulk, and lexan for the ceiling lens of the skylight. Lowes was running on a generator. Got back, borrowed another neighbors mini cordless circular saw, cut the cap for the frame, caulked and screwed the cap on the frame. Cut the lexan piece for the ceiling, cut up two large branches that had come down in the backyard, while my wife helped her sort through her refrigerators and freezers. After that, my wife and I dragged the branches out to the street. Right when we were getting ready to leave, her power came back on. However, we decided it would be better for her to come back with us until things settled down around the area. There were several fights at the gas stations, guns pulled out, long lines for the gas that was available, and the stores had lost most of their perishable foods. My mother is 80 years old, and I wasn't about to leave her alone to deal with the aftermath. She is going to fight me this week, but I won't be taking her back until next weekend. You see the pictures and videos online of the disasters, you see the stories of the people who are going through them. But until you actually experience the destruction and partial breakdown of a community, you just cannot fathom what it is like in real time. But, like what her neighbors did, you do see the redeeming side of humanity. And it does give one hope for the future. But damn, I imagined what it would be like, and reality gives you a large dose of humility.
 
KillerFord1977 said:
Our govt should be “all in” for natural disasters, fires and floods for America. If it cuts into the “ foreign” budget, so be it.

Americans first.
I dont see any other country sending money to America except to buy our land
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The money we waste on foreign aid would build a new mansion for every affected homeowner, with millions left over for the rest of us😏. Almost all little children figure out quickly that you can’t “buy” friends. Oh they’ll take gifts you give, but that doesn’t make them friends. Yet, somehow our glorious leaders consistently fail to understand this. Worse yet, we actually Borrow from a nation that is ideologically opposed to us, just so we can give it away to others who despise us! Isn’t the definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different outcome?
 
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