Families Face Relentless Challenges as Storm Threat Looms
Driving along State Road 429, Candice Briggs struggled to maintain composure. Packed into her car with her three young children, the distance to their destination—north of Jacksonville—felt even further amidst the chaos of evacuation. Only days earlier, Hurricane Helene had inundated their home in the Seminole area of Tampa Bay with over a foot and a half of water, and the family had only just begun to settle into temporary accommodations at a relative’s house.
A Second Evacuation in Quick Succession
With the memories of the previous evacuation still fresh, the family found themselves preparing to flee once more. Their belongings were still in disarray from the storm, and Briggs reflected on the exhausting journey as she squeezed her family into the car with their 14-year-old Maltese poodle mix. “Most of the tears I’ve cried have come from the sheer fatigue,” Briggs recounted. “Yet I’m also filled with gratitude because we were safe. I’m just overwhelmed and feel somewhat powerless in the face of these relentless storms.”
Methodical Response to Evacuation Orders
As a mother of three small children, aged 7, 5, and 3, Briggs adhered strictly to evacuation protocols, a decision she did not take lightly. However, her concern lingered over their storm-damaged home—once filled with laughter and joyous chaos—now stripped of its interior as restoration attempts begin. “It feels incredibly daunting,” she admitted, gazing at the exposed beams, now more susceptible to the impending storm surge.
Preserving Normalcy Amidst Crimson Chaos
Despite the uproar and disarray surrounding their lives, Briggs made an effort to create a sense of normality for her children. They listened to upbeat pop songs playing through the car speakers, and she kept their spirits buoyed by turning the trip into a lighthearted adventure, counting nearby cows and horses as if on an ordinary family road trip. “I can’t predict how long we’ll be out of our home,” she reflected, her voice tinged with concern. “That’s difficult because young children… they want certainty.”
The Challenge of the Unknown
With each passing mile, a feeling of uncertainty weighed heavily on Briggs. “They want to know when we’ll be back home and I can’t give them a timeline,” she explained, embodying the worries of countless other families caught in the storm’s path. The emotional resilience of families like hers serves as a reminder of both the strength and vulnerability that exist in the face of devastating natural events.
