Hurricanes Helene and Milton: Florida’s Neighbors Join Forces to Rebuild

Hurricanes Helene and Milton Florida's Neighbors Join Forces to Rebuild
Image By: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Kat Robinson-Malone and her husband texted their neighbors two doors down late at night to say, “Hey, we’re coming,” as the floodwaters from Hurricane Helene rose up through their home’s flooring, reaching ankle depth.

The couple handed up their 8-year-old daughter and a gas-powered generator as they swam through the flooded street to Chris and Kara Sundar’s elevated front porch, whose house was situated on higher ground.

Brooke and Adam Carstensen, whose home next door to Robinson-Malone flooded, also sought shelter in the lime-green Sundars’ home in southern Tampa.

The bonds between the adults grew during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, whereas the three families had first connected years earlier when their kids started playing together.

So, when Hurricanes Helene and Milton hit Florida two weeks apart, the neighbors banded together as a single extended family, sharing meals, taking turns watching the kids, and cleaning out their damaged houses.

The Malones, Sundars, and Carstensens all made the decision to leave Tampa together because Milton threatened to strike the city directly last week. Together with seven adults, six kids, four dogs, and Max Carstensen’s three pet rats, they traveled more than 450 miles (725 kilometers) in a caravan across metro Atlanta.

“Everyone has, like, the chain saw or a tarp,” Robinson-Malone stated on Sunday. “But really the most important thing for us was the community we built. And that made all the difference for the hurricane rescue and the recovery. And now, hopefully, the restoration.”

As President Joe Biden observed the destruction, recovery work in storm-affected areas in central Florida resumed on Sunday. Biden expressed gratitude that the damage caused by Milton was less serious than officials had predicted.

But for those caught in the hurricane’s path, which has been linked to at least 11 fatalities, he said it was still a “cataclysmic” catastrophe.

Approximately 500,000 homes and businesses in Florida were still without electricity on Sunday, according to Poweroutage.us. After Milton made landfall Wednesday as a Category 3 storm, that number had dropped from almost 3 million.

With the opening of new gas stations and noticeably reduced queues at pumps in the Tampa area, it also seemed that the lack of fuel was abating.

Nine locations where people can receive 10 gallons (38 liters) apiece for free were announced by Governor Ron DeSantis.

A complete recovery will take much longer, even though recovery efforts were picking up steam.

Even as Florida deploys around 3,000 personnel to the cleaning, DeSantis warned that clearing the debris might take up to a year. According to him, Biden has authorized 90 days of 100% federal payment for those activities.

According to Paul Close, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, rivers will continue to rise over the next few days, causing flooding, mostly in the Tampa Bay area and further north. In addition to a rainy summer that included many hurricanes, those regions received the greatest rainfall.

Residents were making other plans in the meanwhile since they couldn’t return to their damaged homes.

A camper trailer that Robinson-Malone and her husband, Brian, purchased is parked in their driveway. They intend to remain there while their destroyed house is restored and strengthened to withstand hurricanes.

Chris Sundar stated that he is reconsidering his intention to stay in Tampa until ten years later, when all of his children have completed high school.

Read Also: Tragedy Strikes: Hurricane Helene Claims Nearly a Dozen Lives in One North Carolina Family

The children of the families, ages 8 to 13, continue to live at his residence. A list of tasks for each of them, including emptying trash cans and folding laundry, is posted on the wall. The youngsters have benefited from the assistance of teacher Brooke Carstensen over a prolonged period of no school.

When Helene’s storm surge inundated their garage, the Sundars lost both of their cars. As a result, they had to evacuate to Georgia in Robinson-Malone’s automobile. “This is where community shines or it falls apart,” Chris Sundar told Robinson-Malone upon his arrival, tired from the 14-hour walk.

Back in Florida, they collaborated on Sunday to clear logs and sticks from a big oak limb that was hanging over a neighbor’s driveway. Brian Malone used a chainsaw to hack it up.

Recovery has seemed much less daunting when approached together, according to Brooke Carstensen.

Through a group text thread, the families exchange ideas and advice. In between storms, the Sundars hosted an unplanned 13th birthday celebration for her son at their home. Additionally, she laughed and found comfort in Brian Malone’s rebounding advice: “How can you eat an elephant? A one bite at a time.

She worries that Helene and Milton won’t be the last hurricanes, which is why she wants to stay in Tampa.

Local 10: Florida neighbors band together to recover after one-two punch from hurricanes Helene and Milton

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With more than two years of expertise in news and analysis, Eileen Stewart is a seasoned reporter. Eileen is a respected voice in this field, well-known for her sharp reporting and insightful analysis. Her writing covers a wide range of subjects, from politics to culture and more.