The Story of My Hurricane Hero – Tell Me About Yours

Most of us who were impacted by Hurricane Sandy probably have at least one person to whom they owe a debt of gratitude.  Let's call that person your "Hurricane Hero".  This is someone who made it... easier for you to survive the whole affair. Over the course of the last week, most of us found ourselves inconvenienced somehow;  we had to leave our homes, or we were stuck in our homes, we lost power, we lost our transportation, nothing to eat, floods, winds, apocalypse...for a lot of folks, it was a bad week!

But, in the midst of all that drama, I'll bet that somebody in your life stepped up to make things easier for you. These emergency situations seem to bring out the best in people and it certainly is a time when you learn who your friends really are.

Now it is time to recognize that person!  I really have several people who stepped up to help me.  My neighbors Bob and Jim spent an afternoon helping me rip out the carpet in my flooded house.  Gary from work arranged to get me a hotel room so I could move out of sleeping in my office. But my Hurricane Hero is my friend John. John took in my family when we were evacuated and kept them at his house for FIVE DAYS!

John offered to help as soon as he heard we were being evacuated.  He lives over in Gloucester County where they didn't feel too much impact from the storm.  He has a large house with plenty of room.  He also has an incredible reserve of patience and, with my crew now living with him, he needed it!

Whenever a storm or emergency situation comes up, my job demands that I report ready to serve for the duration of the crisis, so I knew what my hurricane plan would be.  But what about my wife Beth, daughters Eileen and Bridget, and pets, Sheba the dog and Muffin the cat? I needed them to be someplace safe with someone I could trust, so I could concentrate on my job.  It was bad enough worrying about damage to the house without having to be concerned about my family's well being.

John's offer was a perfect fit!  The gang would drive out to his house Sunday and stay until things settled down, most likely Tuesday.  What we hadn't counted on was the storm touching down in Margate and the evacuation continuing until Thursday. Even then, it was too late to pack everything up and make it back to town Thursday, so the family  stayed until with John until Friday.  Five days in all!  During the week I joked (really I was only half-joking) that if John's ex-wife, kids and pets came to stay with me, I would have thrown them out after two days.

But I didn't hear one complaint from John!  What a guy, what a friend!  That's why he's my Hurricane Hero!  Thanks, buddy!

Tell me about your Hurricane Hero in the comments section below.  You owe someone some recognition...and here's your chance!  I can't wait to hear your story.