The Realities of Evacuating
Our Front Porch interviewed one of our supporters, Kat Kilpatrick, who had to evacuate for Hurricane Irma. For those of us who live in landlocked states, here is what the realities of evacuating look like.
Kat Kilpatrick and her family.
Were you prepared to evacuate and what things were most important for you to bring with you?
We heard about Hurricane Irma arriving in a few days which gave us some time to decide our plan, pack and come to terms with the fact that there was a natural disaster on the way. I packed the essentials for my husband, myself and two small children. I packed clothing, diapers, snacks and our most important documents. I thought about our items at home and hoped they would be ok but most utmost concern was for our family, things can be replaced.
What advice would you give people if they find themselves in the same position?
Try to stay calm, make a plan and make a list of items to pack. You need to make decisions and move quickly. Go with your gut and don’t second guess your choices.
What was something that you didn’t expect or was surprising from the whole experience?
How supportive the community was and how everyone seemed to come together to help others out during a time of need. How my husband and I were able to come together and stay calm for our children. We explained to our two and a half year old that we were going on an adventure and make a “trip” out of it.
What was your home like when you returned?
Our home was ok, thankfully. There were fallen trees in the back but no real damage to our house. Our power was on and the streets full of debris but no major concerns. We had to unlock the hurricane shutters and put back the outside furniture after cleaning and blowing out leaves and branches in the front and back of the home.
What has your recovery process looking like so far?
It seems as though life has gone back to normal and fast. In some ways I’m happy about that since we can move on from such a scary event but I’m trying to process it with my husband (since the kids are so young to understand) and remember we just dealt with a very stressful situation.
So glad you and your family are safe and sound and thank you for sharing!
