It was the linemen.

“We are bored!”

I heard my two granddaughters call out as they sheltered in our small half bath.

“Just a little bit longer!”

My husband and son-in-law were holding the back doors shut while my daughter and I held the front door shut against nearly unstoppable wind.

My daughter and I took turns running around the house grabbing buckets and bowls to catch the water and using towels to sop up any that had already poured in.  As the storm progressed, the chandelier in the foyer could double as a shower, as well as every light and air conditioning vent.

After it passed all of the neighbors in our cul-de-sac came out to inspect the damage. We already had a strong bond with our neighbors but this brought us even closer. We emptied our freezers to ensure we didn’t lose any thawing meat.

One neighbor, who evacuated, had a freezer with an entire cow in it.

They got word to us that we were welcome to eat it so it wouldn’t go to waste. We dined well those first couple of nights.

We would cook dinner and eat together every night by lantern light, after we had all put in a full day’s work cleaning up the disaster Hurricane Michael had left behind. 

I have sleep apnea and have to use a CPAP machine at night. Our wonderful neighbors, with a whole house generator, took my family of six in. We stayed for about six weeks. Their home was an oasis to us. To be able to work all day in the heat and humidity, then walk into air conditioning and a shower at night, is beyond words. We are forever humbled and grateful for their generosity. 

My two granddaughters were thrilled with the downed trees left behind. They climbed through it like little monkeys, swinging from branch to branch. We gave them a bed sheet and they made a fort. The only time I saw them cry during this entire ordeal was when their Pa-Pop had to cut up the trees and take them to the curb. They have been so resilient through it all. They search for ‘treasures’ in all the debris and made every day a new adventure. 

I didn’t cry over our destroyed home or the loss of our valuables. I didn’t shed a tear over the family vacation to Colorado we couldn’t go on or the cancelled cruise.

It was the linemen. The truck after truck after truck filled with linemen from all over the country pouring into our weary and ravaged community to give us power that brought tears to my eyes.  

They missed birthdays, anniversaries and holidays so I could flip a switch and have a little bit of normal restored. They initially estimated it would take up to three months to get power. We had power in nine days. It was amazing.

We have two trailers in our driveway now. One for my husband and I and one for my daughter and her family. The contractors are estimating that our house could take up to a year to repair.

I am a realtor with Century 21 Commander Realty and the current housing market is unlike anything I have ever seen before. We don’t currently have any rental homes available. Some are trying to sell damaged homes, as is. It gets a lot more complicated in situations like that. We have lived here 25 years and watched the market ebb and flow. This is a bit more drastic but I know we will all get back on our feet. It will just take some time.