Hurricane Idalia may have flooded Eileen Lilley’s home, but it didn’t dampen her spirits Friday as she worked to rebuild and recover with the help of her community.
Idalia invaded her hometown of Horseshoe Beach in Florida’s Big Bend on Wednesday morning.
The hurricane brought storm surges of several feet, as seen by the dark waterline reaching the white window sill of Lilley’s pistachio greenhouse.
He had moved before the storm, scrambling to save what he could.
She takes pictures of her children’s babies, some of her artwork and some clothes, but in her haste to escape the oncoming hurricane, she forgets to take her wedding ring from her husband, Jim.
“He passed away a year and a half ago from Alzheimer’s,” Lilley told FOX Weather multimedia reporter Katie Byrne. He added that Jim was a Navy veteran. “I took care of him until I couldn’t take care of him anymore.”
Eileen Lilley spoke with FOX Weather following the Idalia damage in the town of Horseshoe Beach. Katie Byrne / FOX Weather
He only realized that he left the ring behind once he arrived at a motel to escape Idalia.
When the storm made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane, with strong winds and storm surge destroying homes up and down Florida’s Gulf coast, Lilley feared the ring would be lost in the storm.
After Idalia passed, Lilley returned to his neighborhood to assess its impact.
“I can’t believe the destruction,” he said. “I was on the streets where I had friends yesterday, and I looked around, and suddenly, I had to stop on the street because I didn’t know which way I was going. Nothing recognizable.”
Lilley returned home to find her belongings wet from being under several feet of flood water. But miraculously, his house remained intact.
“There is a wall around it from God. He saved it for me,” he said. He stated that since his house was uninhabitable, he was able to stay with his church family.
Although her belongings were soaked, Eileen Lilley found her home miraculously intact after the storm.Katie Byrne / FOX Weather
He also said that he received help from an aide to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who visited Lilley’s church to see how he and his team could help.
After hearing Lilley’s story, the assistant arranged for a trailer to be brought to Lilley’s property, so he could have a place to stay near his home.
Lilley also tells the assistant about the ring from Jim, and how it was left during the storm.
Debris from homes washed up on their lot chokes a canal in the middle of homes still standing, in Horseshoe Beach, Fla., on Aug. 31, 2023. AP
He asks her to explain where the ring is and then goes to her house to find the jewelry box that contains it.
“And he got it for me,” Lilley said, fighting back tears. “And the ring is still there.”
Additionally, the American flag that was folded during Jim’s funeral is also present.
A derelict house that came off its block lies partially submerged in a canal, in Horseshoe Beach, Fla., on Sept. 1, 2023. AP
While Lilley plans her next steps to restore her home, she will live in a trailer with her cat and dog.
While the future may seem uncertain, Lilley takes comfort in the support of her community and the items and memories she holds from Jim.
“I’m really amazed and very blessed,” he said.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
