When the biggest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic ocean is about to touch down, it’s best not to travel to Florida.
But, that’s exactly what one New Brunwicker did this week for the sake of family.
St. Stephen resident Bob Hamel says his 95 year old father is currently recovering in hospital, just north of the Tampa Bay area, so he made the trip to check on him, and prepare his father’s house for Hurricane Irma.
Hamel says he waited over an hour to fill up on gas last night, “There’s quite a few [gas stations] that are dry, they put signs up. Some of the gas stations are running like normal prices, others are a little gouging, but buying large, they stocked up a lot of them last night with trucks coming in. The lines are shorter today, but they are still there.”
Hamel says everyone is busy getting storm ready, but the locals seem used to it, and they are doing a great job getting prepared. “They’re actually very prepared for it. Like here at the hospital where my Dad is, the staff has all been notified, they’re all on three and four day shifts, twenty-four hours a day. They are preparing, they are bringing everyone in, they have everything prepositioned. All the sheriff’s departments are putting out notices about emergency services that they have and where they are located. They’re doing a good job down here.”
He says Home Depot is crazy, with truck loads of lumber going out the door for people to board up their houses.
Hamel says many of the neighborhoods are along canals that lead to the ocean. He worries, if there is a storm surge, it will be flooded like in Texas.
(Photo courtesy of Google Maps)