Siesta Strong

When your vacation destination turns out to be the same place where a Category 3 hurricane decides to come ashore, life gets pretty interesting.

I know you’re expecting a recipe post today, but when your October vacation plans land you in the eye of a hurricane, work schedules and timelines change. This week, instead of healthy cooking talk, I thought I’d share with you my experience with a hurricane named Milton.

After a 1,200-mile drive, my husband and I arrived in Siesta Key on a warm and wonderful Saturday evening, five days before hurricane Milton swirled into town. After unloading the car, we headed off to one of our favorite seafood restaurants. While we were enjoying a delicious dinner (grilled Gulf shrimp for me and blackened grouper for my husband), conversation quickly turned to hurricanes, evacuation plans, and possible locations for our escape. Our waitress, a Florida native with hurricane experience, chimed into our discussion and recommended the southeast coast of Florida as a safe relocation spot. Lucky for us, we have amazing friends that live in Boca Raton, which is about an hour north of Miami. Our friends also have years of hurricane experience and they agreed with our delightful and informative waitress that heading their way was a smart plan. They extended a very gracious invitation to stay at their home and we gladly accepted — thank you Sally, Rob, and Jewel!

As landfall predictions seemed to be narrowing in on a Wednesday arrival, we decided to bug out of town Monday evening. Our hurricane preparedness plan was quite simple - just push a few buttons to bring down the hurricane shutters. As the shutters locked into place, I couldn’t help but wonder was it going to be enough. Prayers were said, tears were shed (on my part), and then we hopped in the car and began our 3-hour journey across the state.

The drive to our new vacation destination was a breeze. We were actually a bit perplexed by the light traffic and wondered if we were just way ahead of the rush or was our decision to stay in Florida a really bad idea.

Evacuation drive to Boca Raton

The next 40 plus hours leading up to Milton’s arrival were eerie, unsettling, and just plain weird. This feeling of impending doom and destruction that you have no control over is really awful. Watching various weather channels and news shows as little as possible was extremely helpful for our stress levels. We went for long walks, checked out local shopping districts, and even enjoyed a few cocktails at some wonderful dining establishments. If you’re ever in Boca, Crazy Uncle Mike’s on North Federal Highway has a great happy hour and they make a fantastic old fashioned.

On the evening of Milton’s arrival our gracious hostess took us to a “hurricane party” at the neighbor’s house. This was a brilliant idea and served as a wonderful distraction. It wasn’t until later that night when I learned Milton made landfall near Siesta Key. At least the waiting and wondering of when and where it was going to hit was over. Now we just needed to see how bad things were and how we were going to fix it.

Four days post Milton, power and water returned to our little spot on Siesta Key and we headed back to see what this hurricane left behind. The destruction around the island was heartbreaking. As we explored this quaint little village, we saw streets lined with piles of what used to be the contents of people’s homes – kitchen sinks, dining room tables and chairs, coaches, stoves, refrigerators, dishwashers, cabinets, toilets, dressers, and beds. Now it was all just heaps of garbage stacked at the curb waiting to be hauled away. We saw streets crumbling and giving way, trees resting on rooftops, and mounds of sand covering roads, sidewalks, and parking lots.

However, we also saw the hope and spirit of a community that wasn’t going to let a direct hit from a Category 3 hurricane bring it down. Day and night we witnessed hundreds of people working to bring Siesta Key back to life. Linemen from across the country worked tirelessly to restore power. Trees and debris from roadways were cleared by the Florida Department of Transportation, National Guard, and crews from Sarasota County Parks. Dedicated first responders worked to keep people safe. Organizations like the Red Cross and Salvation Army manned comfort stations offering ice, water, snacks, hot meals, and mobile charging capabilities. This short list just scratches the surface of all the organizations and groups involved in the restoration.

Then there were the residents and business owners that live and thrive in this special place. They worked nonstop dismantling their water-damaged homes and restaurants. They shoveled sand from their driveways, living rooms, and office buildings. They removed trees from their roofs and raked shards of glass from their lawns. They never looked defeated, just determined to make everything right again.

“Siesta Strong” became a precious motto that was spray painted on plywood boards around town. This little piece of paradise is truly an amazing and resilient place. We are very blessed to call it home, even if it’s only for a couple of weeks a year. Stay strong Siesta Key, we’re praying for you and know you’re going to make a complete, beautiful, and better than ever recovery.

So long for now Siesta Key!