Hoping Elsa passes us by and thinking back to Hurricane Andrew

Published on 07/07/21: Less posts recently. A few days for a family vacation, then some additional time to keep the focus on ol’ Tropical Storm Elsa (please pass us by without issue)

Are all followers safe and sound? Any issues/damage so far? Less or more damage than you expected?

Hurricane Andrew

While storm prepping today, I thought back to preparing for Hurricane Andrew (South Florida) in 1992. This is the Cat 5 that barreled directly over our house, taking a portion of our home & avocado farm with it. With all signs indicating the storm would ruin the avocado season, we picked fruit from sunrise until sunset that day. Then we finally began hurricane prep. After watching a small farm shed blow past like a tumbleweed, we headed inside at midnight. We had done all we could do. Boards on windows, patio furniture, farm equipment & pets moved inside. The usual Florida drill.

No Power and Phones

On our way inside we noted purple & green lights ‘exploding’ to the east, as either tornados or Andrew’s winds blew transformers. Our power then flickered and succumbed, not to be restored until 30 days later. Telephones for nearly 60 days. While we had one emergency “cell phone”, it was the size of a loaf of bread 😊 and useless w/ all cell towers demolished.

Doors Blew In During Andrew

We lost the front double doors, which subsequently blew out the sliding glass doors. ProTip, never try to fight against a Cat 5. 😂 We held the doors, stacked boxes of books and we were working to position a huge player piano against them. However we were then blown back like rag dolls. With a 27.23 inHg pressure & 200+ mph gusts, I suppose something had to give.

As the calm eye passed eerily over us, we used the opportunity to rescue photo albums & other keepsakes. All just before the 165mph winds returned a few minutes later from the other direction. We rode out the storm in our hallway w/ an elderly friend.

Avocado Farm Life

We visited the farm a few weeks ago to see dad (my amazing mom passed away in 2018), as I love reliving my childhood through Colt’s eyes. For a look at life on the avocado farm (a cure for your insomnia tonight?), view the ‘highlight story’ on Instagram…

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