Stress is starting to set in

I'm beginnning to feel like my life is on hold. Every place I look or go, people are starting to stress out. Having sat and waited and watched the past 2 storms, then breathing a sigh of relief when they were gone, only to now learn another is lurking worse than the other 2, is starting to take it's toll.

With each storm, I learned how unprepared I really was. Yet, in the back of my mind I'm thinking how can anyone ever be prepared for this stuff. Here we go again as they started evacuating the Keys about 6-7 hours south of me.

With a state that's been hammmered everything is in short supply. Gas it like gold, and just starting to come in again. Milk and perishable foods were thrown out from grocery stores that lost power and new supplies just starting to dwindle in. In the back of my mind, I was thinking why buy them, when they would only have to be thrown out. I've been buying up water, and throwing it all in the deep freeze. I also have neighbors on the next block that have been without power now going on the 6th day.

Just THINK about that. No lights, no tv, no way to store cold food, do laundry or learn about the next monster coming to hit us. I've been freezing up ice now as fast as I can and delivering to them each day so they can have a way to store something to drink.

My husband has been having fits cause it's hard to find our food in the big freezer as I have it packed shut with water bottles. We were blessed to have kept our power the last time, however, watching the crews go as fast as they can, when millions are without power, you have to know it's going to be LONG LONG TIMES.

Florida in September is still HOT HOT HOT, 90 degrees and muggy. Think about that. No fans No way to plug in things. We tried to prepare better with a generator but there is not one to be had any place in the state.

This morning I went out to put tape on some of my bigger windows. I didn't do that last time, but this time I felt led to tape them up. When I went to the one side, I found that we did have some of the siding come lose, so hubby will have to fix that today.

Even the waiting, the rains keep coming every day. Poor people that live on the rivers are FLOODED out of their homes and have to take boats to salvage things. It's flooded everyplace. The water has no place to go. Again I've been thankful to be at the high end of the county, and have been dry but getting around any place, lots of roads are shut down to one lane due to flooding, so it's not easy getting around. Better to stay home or walk.

Sad part, when all this is over ALL of us everywhere in the US will be paying for the damages. The federal government is in our state, with FEMA. they are taking applications and helping people with rebuilding their homes, and getting trailers or temporary living space. The entire state is a disaster.

Even those with no damage, have been effected in that these storms are taking their toll on us all. It's very very stressful and nervewracking to sit and wait, sit and wait and then wait some more. There is only so much people can do.

The poor electric people have been working 18 hours a day. Companies from as far away as Michigan have sent in crews to help rebuild. The man hours have been tremendous. In the back of my mind watching all of this, I'm wondering if it's all in vain. IF Ivan comes, all they have just done, may have to be redone.

They just announced all schools will be closed on Monday. I just saw the forcast and it is NOT good they way it looks now. Please keep us all in your prayers everyone.

People have asked me to come visit, in other states. While I do appreciate their offers, it's an impossibility. My husband would go out on the emergency crews for our county, and I'm not leaving him and our dog. We also have family members that would evacuate to our house. So we will batter down and pray. Latest weather report just showed it being pushed into our state again. This is so unreal.