A Time to be Thankful in Spite of Hurricane Havoc
By Role Models Today Contributing Writers
November 28, 2004

Beginning every June 1 and lasting through November 30, Florida is affected by hurricanes. With Bonnie, Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne rampaging the state, the 2004 hurricane season proved to be more than expected for most Floridians. Several of our students took the time to discuss how the storms affected them and their families and what they learned from their experiences.

Carly Blustein, 11 th grade
As the wind howled and the heavy rain made a violent stab on my roof, I sat quietly inside my house. Robbed of my precious electricity for two days during Hurricane (Tropical Storm?) Frances, I got to spend time with my boyfriend Kyle and his family, who were fortunate enough to have electricity throughout the storm. My mother devoured an entire carton of ice cream since our freezer was broken, or so she claimed as her excuse. I also played an engrossing game of Scrabble with my dad, which brought me closer to him because we don't connect the way we used to. We got our electricity back two days later. Nothing catastrophic happened to my house or family. Instead, the hurricane was actually a chance to bring me closer to the people I love and be thankful for the everyday conveniences I am fortunate enough to have.

Laureen Ricks, University of Florida
The hurricanes cost me about $50 in food that I had to throw away because our power died for three days. I am not sure, but I think this was during Hurricane Frances. That's not really a complaint. I can't complain—not when I read the articles about the tragedies that people in Haiti, in Cuba and many others in Florida endured.  The worst things for my roommates and me in Gainesville were the spoiled food and hot nights. Fortunately, my family in Ocala didn't experience power outages. All in all, we were very blessed. I feel that the hurricanes didn't affect me at all. I was even glad to hear of the impending hurricanes because they meant no school. I experienced the tragedy vicariously by hearing others' horror stories and reading the news.

Emmerson W. Sealy, Jr., 10 th grade
The hurricanes affected us in several ways. During Hurricane Frances we were without power for eleven days. Luckily, we brought a generator after three days of no power, but we still didn’t have air conditioning, and it was very hot. We had to burn oil lamps because we didn’t want to burn out all the gas in the generator. During Hurricane Jeanne the power came on after a day, but the damage was greater than that of Frances. Trees were in the driveway as well as the yard, and trees hit the roof and bent a gutter. Since we got power back quickly, we lent our generator to our neighbors, showing that Floridians can be nice to others.

Candace Mitchell, 12 th grade
Upon receiving news about Hurricane Charley and, later, Hurricane Frances, my family’s minds immediately drifted back to our memories of hurricanes experienced while we were living in St. Thomas of the United States Virgin Islands. We thought of a whole island ravaged: power lines fallen and snapped, rooves uplifted and tossed, boats once moored in the harbor resting on Main Street, and lives torn apart and threatened. Haunted by such recollections, we huddled in our newly darkened house in Gainesville, Florida, with our kitchen over-stocked with imperishable items and the radio serving only to augment our anxiety and fear. As each night of waiting for the storms progressed, however, and we realized that Gainesville would be spared most of the destruction of both hurricanes, I reclaimed the time as moments for reflection. As the family gathered in the living room (something we had neglected to do for some time), we talked and laughed about our newly found solidarity. In the flicker of candlelight, to the sounds of rain and wind battering our roof, we discussed everything from what we remembered about St. Thomas, to school, to experiences shared with friends. While the hurricanes could have forced us to contend with death and destruction, we, instead, were given the chance to reaffirm life, hope and gratefulness. I appreciate the blessings offered both nights, and our prayers were certainly with the many families who were not given that chance to reflect and celebrate.

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