Two weeks after Hurricane Frances hit, I was in Walmart trying to buy a couple of battery-operated lanterns. My boarded-up house with its 30 ft. high cathedral ceiling looked so eerie by candlelight. Also with lanterns I could read!
Not unexpectedly, they were sold out. I told a Walmart employee I wanted a few on hand for the next hurricane. Well she guffawed and exclaimed, "Don't worry honey, we won't get another hurricane for 30 years!" -- This was on Monday.
Recently, Hurricane Ivan had become the second hurricane of the season to strike Florida's other coast. Now Hurricane Jeanne was whirling in the Atlantic Ocean. We were told it was not a threat to us. It was on a northern path away from Florida.
Just a few days later, my lawn-man knocked on my door. He inquired if I had seen the cover of the day's newspaper. It was early, so I had not. Well, Hurricane Jeanne had looped around, she was heading directly toward us! I was in shock! I had just gotten my windows unboarded from the previous hurricane!
Now I was in a panic! Fortunately I was able to get the carpenter back to board me up all over again. Just 3 weeks to the day after Hurricane Frances hit, Jeanne struck! Another category 2, both on a Saturday. At least this time my electricity didn't go out until around 9:00 PM.
As I huddled with my pillows in the pitch-dark bathroom downstairs, I was still in a state of disbelief. How could this happen again, and so soon? My house was already battered and damaged. Could it even stand up to another hurricane?
Fortunately, Jeanne moved faster than Frances. Also electricity was restored in 4 days this time rather than 7.
My friend Margaret phoned from the Orlando area. She had been hit by all 4 hurricanes of the season! But never once did she loose electricity! Unlike Vero Beach, the wires there are all under ground.
Soon after, the Insurance adjuster arrived. He complained that he was unable to reach me by phone. -- My answering machine sat in it's box. Because I found the directions unclear and wouldn't risk a fire. I doubt I'd survive one. My bedroom is the farthest from the stairs. Bless him, he hooked it up for me!
I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw him walking all over my steep roof! He was in his tie and street shoes! So-called professionals refused to get up there without safety equipment. He made all those rednecks in their jeans look like wussies!
I had managed to get a few estimates for repairs, although most of my calls were still going unreturned. Soon a check from the Insurance Co. arrived. I thought surely it had to be a joke! The cost of my repairs were around $12,000. and the check was for $2,500.! Even with my deductible that amount was a ludicrous! Apparently they thought I lived in a time warp.
I phoned the Insurance Company. To make a long story short, they mailed me another $2,500.... If I had I no Insurance what-so-ever, and just banked the premiums, there would have had plenty of money for the repairs. Later, I was dropped as a client.
The price of electricity and everything else shot up after the 2 hurricanes. I continued to shop around for estimates. It was almost Spring before many of the repairman returned my calls, and nearly Summer before the repairs to my house were completed. This was true for many Floridians as well.
Eventually, I did get a couple of battery-operated lanterns, plus a giant flashlight. And just in time for the next category 2 hurricane, which struck the following year! A harrowing ordeal for sure, my windows were all left unboarded. I screamed, cried, prayed, and cursed throughout my subsequent tribulation!
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