Hello, I'm in Florida, was in evacuation zone A. I'm ok and so is my home, thankfully! But I remain displaced due to no power and a live hot wire sitting near my house since Sunday 7pm, which Duke Energy still hasn't tended to! If a live hot wire isn't a priority, I don't know what is. I have a snowbird friend who's home has power and they graciously offered it to me. So this is my temporary abode, but I still can't get back to business. I'm in Pinellas County, more than 58% are/were without power. So even if your alright, your still out of business. The heat is horrible being in a home with no AC. I don't know what I'd have done without a place to go to!
Due to the evacuations, my carrier hasn't delivered any mail since last Thursday. They were out last FRIDAY and most USPS was OPEN. But they were told NOT to deliver to any home in evac zones, even though I was home at that time, they don't know who would and wouldn't be, so they weren't going to deliver mail and have it blown away!! Surprisingly Fedex delivered Friday to evac zones, lucky I was home for my pkg, otherwise I don't know what would have happend to it. Possibly someone would have stole a nice big Chipper sitting on my porch, cuz they sure would want it!!
I drove to the PO Friday to get pkgs out BEFORE the hurricane and not have to worry about them. I thought they'd be processed through before Sunday, Airport closed Sat Night, but they WERE NOT. They sat and USPS started processing them Yesterday night. But I'm glad I dropped them off, cuz I surely didn't want to worry about them. However, I've received orders since then and had extended my handing on my listings to 5 days pre-Irma. Without power, I can't print. I can't go to a remote place to print like a library, etc, because they also have NO POWER. Some ppl don't realize there even was a hurricane! I continue to receive questions about items.
USPS and all carriers are back in business here, BUT my street for example is blocked off due to the hot wire still sitting there! My carrier is unable to deliver, I'm also being refused any garbage and brush pickup because of this, while other homes right down the street are receiving all these services! Simply because Duke Energy won't come and disable and move the wire!! I looked up purchases that were out for delivery and it said 'address blocked' in the tracking. Which is fine, since I'm not home anyway. But know there are other addressed like mine, they may be presently unaccessable for similar reasons, even though ppl are home!
I'm thankful Irma is finally through the State and my sturdy home stood up to her! In fact, she did me a favor and blew away all of my neighbors GIANT tree branches that were greatly extended over into my back yard. The neighbor of course only trimmed the branches earlier this year, that were by his home, not caring about his tree imposing into a neighbors yard! Now, he has to get rid of all of those that blew off, believe me the enormous branches filled his back yard and even into the seawall! Only 1 was laying over his fence into my property. SO IRMA's wind knew what she was doing, by blowing them away from my backyard, where they didn't belong in the first place.
I must admit I was very worried, scared and felt helpless. I'll never forget how I felt at 6am Sunday morning, my car loaded, 2 cats in tow, my house of 22 yrs boarded up and sandbagged, as I looked around it and said a prayer before I turned off that last light, quietly and nervously locked the door, and set down the barron road with the wind already starting to howl!
penguins_dont_fly is a Volunteer Community Mentor
