Letter about Hurrricane Wilma

A Roxobel Native writes of Hurricane Wilma

I spoke with my mother in Roxobel, NC this morning to give her an update on my situation here in Sunrise, Florida after Hurricane Wilma. I was very surprised when she told me that most folks back home haven’t a clue just how bad the storm was.

Hurricane Wilma came across Broward County (Fort Lauderdale) Florida as a category three storm early last Monday, October 24th. It tore the place up pretty good: splintering tree limbs and spreading them across the roads, tearing shingles and ceramic tiles off of the roofs of homes and leaving them everywhere (I filled up five medium sized boxes with shingles from my own yard and pool). Aluminum awnings and gutters where ripped from homes and sent sailing dangerously for blocks, breaking windows and scratching up cars before finally becoming wrapped around street signs, trees, vehicles and piles of debris. The winds snapped light poles of both wood and concrete, completely removed the majority of traffic signals and covered the ground with electrical wires, support cables, shattered glass and twisted metal.

Having passed through Sunrise, Florida in the early afternoon, residents began to emerge, talk with each other and immediately began removing debris. There was no power, some were without water, and very many suffered damage to their homes and property much greater than my own. City workers began clearing roads within hours of the storm’s passing and people began to drive about.

A memento of Hurricane Isabel

The county established a 7pm – 7am curfew for people to be off the streets and police were highly visible at all hours of the day and night. The nights were long and dark with no power in the neighborhood. The next several days brought many people outdoors. Some were cleaning, others standing or walking around, and most conversing neighborly.

I walked for several hours, stopping and talking with neighbors I’d never seen or met as well as some of the city workers. Everyone was pleasant, friendly, and quick to thank God for having kept them and their families safe. We were additionally blessed with a cold front that helped ease our loss of air conditioning. Neighbors came together to share food and water, help each other with cutting up trees or removing fences and for hours of conversation.

I talked to so many people that I felt like I was running for public office. I met folks from Colombia, Haiti, Peru, Jamaica and all around the USA. I met neighbors I’d never seen, found people sharing my profession, chatted with a Vietnam Veteran and developed a new friendship with a cousin of former Secretary of State Colin Powell. I was overwhelmed with the number of people offering each other food, water and even the rare commodity of ice.

I spent a lot of time listening to my battery-powered radio and, yes, I did hear of some people complaining about the lack of outside assistance. There were many residents who evidently didn’t have even one days supply of food and water for their family. This is extremely odd as any anyone that lives here knows that we have a six month hurricane season every single year; and certainly the last two years frequent storms should have served as some sort of reminder. While the mayors of area towns and counties joined the governor in admonishing the folks for being apparently unprepared, they rushed aid and assistance to all without delay.

Today, Sunday October 30th, six days after the storm, things in my Sunrise neighborhood appear much the same. Debris has been pushed and flung into piles, but remains in yards and in the medians of the roads. There is no power and really no expectation of it being restored very soon. There are lines down and poles snapped like twigs which remain in place. Roofs are covered with orange, blue, yellow and white tarps and sheets of plastic. The weather has begun to warm up a little, but we’ve luckily missed the rain so far.

The people of my Sunrise neighborhood still spend a lot of time outdoors. I think it’s the long, dark nights that prompt us all to get out and expend some of that excess energy. Walking, cleaning, speculating about when we will have power and sharing tips on where to find ice, purchase gasoline and making repairs.

I think I know why many folks outside our area haven’t heard of the hardships we are currently enduring. It’s because we were properly prepared, haven’t made a lot of noisy complaints and have successfully evolved into a community in which we attempt to aid and comfort each other. I liked where I lived before the storm, but I like it even more now. I know we will make the repairs and eventually return to normal, but I’m hopeful that we will retain some of our newfound community closeness as well.

Adam Kirk Pruden (native of Roxobel, NC / Bertie High Class of 1986)
9101 Sunset Strip
Sunrise, FL 33322
(305) 213-8900

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