By Georgia Osten
Well, it ended for us on the Gulf Coast of Texas, but across the Gulf on the coast of Florida, it was a totally different story. Our youngest and her family of 5, who now live in Tampa, watched Ian closer and closer until Tampa was told Mandatory Evacuation. They loaded up the two cars, two dogs, three kids and did as they were told. Off to Orlando they went. So did everyone else!

PawPaw, was there watching Addyson (14), Michael (12) and Dax (9) while the parents took a mini vacation to Connecticut to see a concert. Something they have been looking forward to since before they transferred from Israel. Stevie Nicks, Dave Matthews and the Lumineers. They were to return on Tuesday. The storm kept getting more serious, so they cut their mini vacation short. They returned on Monday instead and began battening down the hatches in preparation for the storm.

On their way to evacuate to Orlando, they took PawPaw to the airport for his departure early Tuesday morning. They made it to Orlando about the time PawPaw made it back to Hobby. Everyone safe, thank goodness! The Florida kids waited out the storm, everything in Orlando closed down, no Publix, no WalMart, no fast food restaurants, just a WaWa, it’s like a 7-11. They spent $100 on just junk food you would expect to find at a WaWa!

The storm went south of Tampa with a vengeance, then the eye went over Orlando and headed to the east coast of Florida where it picked up speed again out in the Atlantic and headed up the coast to the Carolinas.

Neighbors back in Tampa stayed throughout the storm and kept reporting to the kids conditions left by Ian. On Friday, the kids headed back to their home. Good Bones in this old house. Did I tell you the house is over 100 years old? The last hurricane it saw was back in 1921. That storm tore off the upstairs balcony.

They arrived home to no electricity, everything in the freezer was still frozen solid. They hooked up the generator, powering the downstairs, everything but A/C. Lots of cleanup in and around the house, then Saturday, electricity was restored.

In the meantime, Uncle Paul, from League City, had hitched up his Coach and his cooker and headed off to Bradenton, just south of Tampa to feed the storm victims, with Giving Bak Foundation!

Look who else they saw in Florida!

Kelly, Michael and kiddos headed to Bradenton Sunday with much needed mosquito spray for Uncle and friends of Giving Bak. The kids donned plastic gloves and pitched in to help Unkie serve food.

Oh my goodness! This family! So proud and so thankful.

[Oct-4-2022]