Elderly Couple Holds Hands in Back of Ambulance as They Flee Hurricane Florence
Whenever a big storm comes rolling in — the kind that can do some serious damage — residents are always alerted so they can prepare. In some cases, that means gathering supplies, floodproofing your property as much as possible and buying extra bread and milk.
In other cases, it means getting out completely: packing up your family, your pets, and your valuables and getting as far away from the behemoth as possible.
If you’ve been following the news at all, you’ve seen that Hurricane Florence is barreling toward the Carolinas. Over 1.7 million residents have been warned of the impending storm, and many areas have had mandatory evacuations.
According to the National Hurricane Center, the storm will be dumping an incredible amount of water, causing a huge amount of flooding.
“Southeastern coastal North Carolina into far northeastern South Carolina,” the NHC update read. “An additional 20 to 25 inches, with isolated storm totals of 30 to 40 inches. This rainfall will produce catastrophic flash flooding and prolonged significant river flooding.”
Those who have resisted the mandatory evacuation have been warned that they will be totally cut off from help during the heaviest parts of the storm. Despite the warnings, some are choosing to stand their ground.
Thursday brought a taste of Hurricane Florence, with high winds and rain, snuffing out the power of around 150,000 homes.
One woman, Bertha Bradley, said the last time she left during a bad storm, she questioned her decision.
“I said, ‘Why get on the road like this? I’m going to get killed on the road. I should stay in my house, where I have water and food,” she said. “If God’s coming for you, you can’t run from him.”
Almost everyone is making preparations for the storm, whether that’s farmers draining their waste pools to avoid contaminating nearby waterways, or animal shelters working together to get their homeless critters out of the hurricane’s path.
And those who can’t rush around and make preparations on their own? Well, fortunately, there are people looking out for them, too.
As nursing homes relocate elderly men and women in their care, a photo from recent evacuation efforts has gone viral, showing a couple from a South Carolina nursing home holding hands in the back of the ambulance as they were raced to safety.
And just in time, too: Everette Newton, the mayor of Beaufort, North Carolina, said that it’s now “too late” for anyone who hasn’t gotten out yet. If you’re in the path of the storm and haven’t left, the safest place for you to be is at home.
“It’s really dangerous out right now,” Newton told CNN, “with lots of limbs coming down, lots of debris going around. They need to shelter in place.”
Experts expect the storm to continue its barrage of wind and rain into North Carolina and parts of South Carolina on Friday and Saturday, with the most dangerous areas obviously being along the coastline.
We hope and pray for the safety of that sweet elderly couple and everyone else affected by the storm.
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