Are my daughters safe?

If something bad is going to happen, watch the animals. That is what I always heard.
When I felt my dog trembling next to me in the bathtub, I almost lost it.

I had on several coats, hoping that it would protect me from broken glass if the windows blew out. I also pulled a mattress over top of us. We were hot.

I prayed. I prayed that God would keep my children safe. That this storm would pass and I would get to seem them again. They were with their mom. All I knew was that they were in Panama City, but not in a mandatory evacuation zone.

I suddenly heard the sound of 100 men falling out of the sky and hitting my roof. Water started pouring in.
I prayed harder. These weren’t quiet prayers in a hushed voice. These were hands-to-heaven-please-Jesus-hear-me kind of prayers.

I had spent the morning at the gym. I walked over to one of the televisions that was broadcasting the weather and turned up the volume.

“You have one hour to get in place,” I heard the newscaster say.

I watched the glass windows in the gym suck inward. It was clear I needed to get home.

During the hurricane I talked to my mom, who lives in Jacksonville. The last thing I heard her say was “The eye is coming over.” We lost connection and it would be days before I could talk to her again and tell her I was safe.

When it was over, I went outside, along with all of my other neighbors, to inspect the damage.

That night I slept in my living room on a mattress. I bawled my eyes out. I was safe but I didn’t know if my kids were.

The next day I rode my bike around town trying to find my kids. I came back to my house and my Ex had left a note.

They were safe. Those two days of not knowing were the worst.
When I finally got to see them, they called out “Daddy!” and gave me a huge hug. That moment made all the difference in the world.

One of the best things I did before the storm was food prep. I had cooked 14 lbs. of chicken and had enough food for a week.

I shared my food with my neighbors and they shared their generator and cell phone with me. I was able to call my mom.

I called her in tears and told her I tried to call her but the call couldn’t go through. She thought I had died. She has cancer and is going through a lot. I hated that I was adding more stress to her life.

I made the mistake of sleeping in the house for a few nights after the hurricane.I got really sick from the mold.

Thankfully, I was able to find free medical care. I was so sick I had to crawl to my truck to drive myself to see the doctor. Then I had to drive myself to Pensacola. It was the closest place that had a hotel room available. I was better after a few days but I have ever been that sick in my life.

I had mitigators come in and rip up the walls and the flooring. They broke my furniture and destroyed my belongings. My insurance company low balled my claim. I am working with a public adjuster to get the money I need for the repairs.

When you are sharing custody of children having a home is a critical aspect of being able to see your children on a regular and semi-normal basis.

I wasn’t going to let Hurricane Michael and a gutted house keep me from my kids. So, I built a small structure on a slab of concrete in the backyard.

I have a group of friends from church who came over and help me install sheet rock and insulation. I laid carpet and installed plumbing.

I was at a work Christmas party and got a call from a buddy asking me to come back to my house. He had run power to my tiny house. I cried and hugged him.

My kids and I spent Christmas Eve together in my tiny house with a Christmas tree and all the trimmings.

Shortly after the holidays the tiny house flooded. We had to rip the carpets out and add a new door and concrete flooring.

I didn’t have the money to pay for the repairs. A friend gave me a $500 Home Depot gift card that covered the expenses literally to the last cent. It was incredible to see God’s hand throughout this situation.

Our world is broken and we have all become social media robots but this situation has restored my faith in people. I hope the bonds we have formed since the hurricane endure. The only way we can make it through this life is together.