HURRICANE WILMA

OH WILMA! ANOTHER HURRICANE. POOR MIGUEL HAS HAD TO PUT UP AND TAKE DOWN THE WINDOW SHUTTERS SEVERAL TIMES IN THE LAST YEAR. MIAMI WAS HIT VERY HARD AS A HIGH CATEGORY 2 STORM, ALMOST A 3. THERE WAS A LOT OF DESTRUCTION IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. MIAMI LAKES IS KNOWN FOR IT'S BEAUTIFUL CANOPY TREES, BUT MANY OF THEM DID NOT SURVIVE. LOT'S OF TREE AND POWER LINE DAMAGE. ALMOST THE ENTIRE CITY WAS WITHOUT POWER FOR A WEEK. GAS WAS HARD TO FIND AND PEOPLE MADE SIX HOUR LINES TO GET GAS. WE WERE TRULY BLESSED. OUR NEIGHBORHOOD GOT POWER THE NEXT DAY. THERE WERE MANY PEOPLE IN NEED OF GAS, ICE AND WATER. THE SALVATION ARMY CANTEENS WERE OUT AND ABOUT SERVING HOT MEALS FOR THE VICTIMS. IT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE AND WE TRULLY FEEL SO BLESSED THAT WE DIDN'T SUFFER ANY MAJOR DAMAGE. THE SCARIEST PART WAS HEARING TILES FALLING TO THE GROUND, NOT KNOWING IF THEY WERE FALLING ON THE CARS. A FEW OF OUR NEIGHBORS GOT TILES FROM THE ROOF THROUGH THEIR WINDSHIELDS. THE GLASS DOORS FELT LIKE THEY WANTED TO POP. THE WIND NOISE WAS VERY INTENSE. I CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE HOW DEVESTATING A HIGHER CATEGORY WOULD BE, BUT LIVING IN FLORIDA...IT MAY JUST BE A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE I FIND OUT. YOU CAN SEE IN THE PICTURES ABOVE THAT THE WIND WAS FIERCE ENOUGH TO RIP OFF FENCES AND HEAVY METAL DOORS. AFTER THE STORM, PEOPLE COULDN'T HELP BUT WALK AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO SEE IF ANYONE NEEDED HELP AND TO SURVEY ALL THE DAMAGE TO OUR BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY. ANYWAY, RECOVERY IN MIAMI IS FAST AND STEADY AND THINGS QUICKLY GOT BACK TO NORMAL.