I hope everyone was able to stay safe during the hurricane and has the help they need in recovering. I had the amazing opportunity to come home over the weekend so I could be with my family and help with anything they needed. To my pleasant surprise, my parents didn’t need much. By the time I got to Madison, they had most of the yard cleared, and we didn’t have nearly as much damage as we did during Idalia. That being said, my mom made the great point that although Idalia was a very scary time for all of us, our little house ended up being safer this go around because that storm took most of our trees that would have caused damage during this one. However, my grandparents weren’t quite as lucky and had some damage to their house and yard, but through all of these storms and experiences, I have learned that I have one tough (and hardheaded) family. I know most Madison folks are the same way, and in times like these, I feel like having some of that stubbornness and grit really helps in pushing through whatever we have experienced.
For those of you that were affected worse by the storm, know that our town is working as hard as they can to get everything cleared away and up and running. We may be small, but we are mighty, and I will always stand by that. I will be keeping our town and those in our entire region in my prayers as I continue my senior year here in Pensacola. God’s got this, and our strong-willed community will come back just like we always have!