Is there anybody who cares about the people who are looking for gas and ice, who have no power, and no generator? My family was not in a flood zone as has been asserted by certain FReepers (not you, cherry), who are really needing help. The rains came down and have been flooding them. Central Florida is in dire need of help! I’m talking Lake Wales, Winter Haven area. I’m sure there are other FReepers in the same shoes, with family, friends, and loved ones needing assistance. They need gas. They need ice for their food. They are trying to make do with the little they have.
The media doesn’t care. The devastation didn’t happen where they thought it would. So they went home and back to their own comfy lives. Great.
Some FReepers don’t care, because hey, the media overhyped this event, and it’s NO BIG DEAL statistically speaking. Time to move on, or remember the devastation of past events like Camille and Katrina. Irma is a nothing burger event.
Except that some members of my family got flooded with several feet of water. My niece has a home she can’t return to. She can barely make it to the road to her house. It’s buried under water. Her home now looks like she lives on a lake, except she doesn’t! They escaped just fine, but her parents house has no power. She has three children of her own, ages 10-15. Now she needs gas. All of the places that the gas buddy tracker gave us are either incorrect, or they have run out of fuel too. Some places had fuel, but no power, so the pumps don’t work. There are lines to get ice, and it is rationed.
I know they will make do, they always have. My brother and sister in law are very humble and hard working people. (This is my oldest brother, and he and his wife are both very recently retired.) I’m just trying to get them some real help.
If anyone here knows where to find gas in their area (Lake Wales is closest), or of a place to find ice, please let me know. We know the cleanup will take time. We know the power won’t be back on for weeks. We can deal with that some.
Sorry that this turned into a rant of sorts. FReepers are people like me, who generally want to help others. I’d like to thank NautiNurse, and dirtboy, among others who have helped so many with these informative threads.
Central FL. The gas will go to stations that have electricity. Use GasBuddy. It is updated by users. A green shield with a “-” means no gas/no electricity. Many places are without power. Some have power but are either out of gas or closed(!!!). I believe every place that has power will be open tomorrow. Crews are still working traffic signals in many locations.
It will be cool this evening but hot tomorrow. So hopefully as places with electricity open your family will find ice and gas. I’ve seen people sleeping in their vehicles in gas stations that are closed but with gas and power.
I went out today but it was a hodgepodge of most places being closed due to staffing or power and the places that were open were out of supply. I will be looking for gas in the Odessa/Wesley Chappel area tomorrow. Your family’s area is 50 mi. east from me.
The aftermath of even a weak hurricane can be miserable, nobody’s been dimishing that. If you have no power, the nearby gas stations have no power as well, so gas won’t be available until either they bring in a generator or the electric utility gets the power back on. Same goes for ice, refrigeration requires electricity. If there are sites set up for storm aid, there may be a semi with a reefer trailer giving out bags of ice. Ice is a precious commodity after a storm. It’s not easy dealing with all that, plus water in the house on top of it all. But, this really was not a bad storm as hurricanes go, count your blessings. At least you have your lives, are uninjured and have a house to return to once the water recedes. Be thankful.
thus the Tenn floods got short shift, the unarmed white woman shot coldly by a black cop...forgetabouit...and by God, Katrina was all about the chocolate city and nothing happened in Mississippi at all...
we know we're not going to see the devastation thru out Florida and the South because Irma weakened some and Miami still stands...all the other people harmed do not matter, I guess...
prayers...
Those who downplay the event are either not there or had the great fortune to not have had the impact of the storm as bad as others.
Instead of blowing it off as if everyone else is in their same situation, they should either just shut the heck up or go and help out and thank God that they did’t get it any worse.
Unfortunately, I cannot do anything for your family but pray as I am way too far away from where you all are.
I can offer you no help, just an experience.
When my town was flooded with Irene, we were without electricity. By day two people were worried about their food stock. A cook out was set up. For a week we had breakfast lunch and dinner supplied by the local home refrigerators and stock up freezers. We ate fantastic, venison lobster,home made sausages, even pets received great meals. These meals were ice breakers, new friends made and many helped each other with either clean up or moral support. People in nearby towns would bring us ice which they made.
One thing I learned after the flood is to just do as much is possible with what one has. Trying to get any gov help will only slow down getting back to 'normal' and time will be wasted with all the paperwork only to be denied later.
All I can do right now is keep your family in prayer.