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Florida Town Rides out the Storm, Begins Recovery Together
Written by
Kevin Titus
, Special to Redcross.org
Thursday, October 27, 2005 — CHOKOLOSKEE ISLAND, Fla. – When Hurricane Wilma approached the small town of Chokoloskee Island, Fla., with its population of just 400 people, many of the residents of the close-knit community left their homes but decided to ride the storm out together in town, opting to head for higher ground at a nearby inn.
“It was really scary,” said Sue Daniels. “This was my first hurricane, but everyone I was with had gone through them so I was more comfortable.”
Chokoloskee Island is a small town located on the west coast of Florida some 40 miles southeast of Naples at the edge of the Everglades. Because it is somewhat isolated and many of the residents of this fishing village are related, they take care of each other and share the limited resources they have – especially after an event such as Hurricane Wilma.
“After the storm we made coffee, they grilled meat next door and down there they were cooking other stuff,” she said pointing to a white house down the road.
The 18-inch high water line left from Wilma's storm surge is evident in this picture of Sue and Dwain Daniels' home in Chokoloskee Island, Fla., Oct. 25, 2005. The crooked line on the freezer indicates that this unit actually spent time tipped and floating in the floodwater.
(Photo Credit: Gene Dailey/American Red Cross)
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The Daniels had more than 18 inches of storm surge that inundated their one-story house leaving behind a thick layer of invasive mud. It seeped in to every closet and corner of their home, leaving nothing below 18 inches untouched by the wet filth. They were thankful though that everyone had made it through the ordeal alive and unharmed.
The immense force of the water from the storm surge caused significant damage to some items in their home, and seemed to play pranks with some items.
“We haven’t found our washer or dryer yet,” said Daniels.
Their entire garage was cleared out by the powerful surge of water. While some seemingly unmovable objects had not yet been found, other items they thought would be missing forever were just outside their door. Just a day after the storm, Sue’s husband Dwain Daniels, had recovered and was outside cleaning his tools.
Sue Daniels explains how she and her husband retreated from their home as the storm surge approached. Floodwaters rose about 2 feet in 15 minutes, rising to a level of approximately 18 inches inside their home. A thick film of mud covered everything below this level.
(Photo Credit: Gene Dailey/American Red Cross)
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“The house looked like it was ransacked” said Daniels. “Everything was rearranged by the water.”
Even though the storm surge was low, water still managed somehow to infiltrate all of the drawers and cupboards at much higher levels.
“Wilma had no respect for anybody,” she said. “It’s a good thing we’re all related here because it’s easier to get your stuff back.”
In the span of an hour during the afternoon the day after the storm, countless members of their family stopped in to check on the Daniels and offer varied forms of support depending on their own resources. It was clear that this family was a woven deep into the fabric of this small town.
Some family members that run the local airboat tours in the area were called on to provide search and rescue assistance in the New Orleans area after Hurricane Katrina and had just recently returned home. Even though Katrina impacted much of the same area in south Florida before re-emerging in the Gulf of Mexico, folks left their homes in Florida to assist those who needed their help more.
Daniels talked of the anguish they felt having to see dead bodies as they were searching for those still in need of rescue amid war-like security conditions. Now they were back home faced with the devastation from water in their own homes.
When asked about having enough help to make the necessary repairs, Daniels said that they would be calling all the kids and grandkids home to assist in the cleanup and repair efforts. Because they did not have insurance, they will be doing many of the repairs themselves.
While the Daniels family did evacuate their home before the arrival of Wilma in favor of higher ground, they did not leave the area.
The close-knit community of Chokoloskee Island, Fla., got hit by a tidal surge when Hurricane Wilma hit Florida. Unlike the Daniels’ house, most of the newer homes are built on stilts and received relatively minor damage to the living areas. (Photo Credit: Gene Dailey/American Red Cross)
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“We never go off the island,” she said. “This is family here. We don’t leave family – we all work together.”
Their home has been in the family for generations. While the first family house on that plot of land was destroyed by Hurricane Donna in 1960, their present house was built on the very same foundation.
“My grandmother was a midwife and the whole family was born right here in this house – it was like the local hospital,” explained Dwain Daniels.
He said that while he, himself, had been born in a traditional hospital because his mom was sick, everyone else had been born in the family home that was now full of mud – mud and memories.
While the Daniels’ homestead has been muddied, the family’s memories of remain intact, and it’s certain that the cooperative process of rebuilding their home together will create many new, good memories to accompany the unpleasant ones left in Wilma’s wake.
Kevin Titus has been deployed to the Red Cross relief efforts for Katrina, Rita and now Wilma. Residing in Cincinnati, Ohio, he is currently providing Public Affairs support in the area.
All American Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from the American people. You can help the victims of thousands of disasters across the country each year, disasters like the Midwest ice storms, by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, which enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to victims of disaster. The American Red Cross honors donor intent. If you wish to designate your donation to a specific disaster please do so at the time of your donation. Call 1-800-REDCROSS or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund may be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P. O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting www.redcross.org.
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