- There used to be a big Encore mobile home park for retired
people in Punta Gorda, and another large mobile home park on the other
side of the street. Now, all you can see is a large garbage heap on both
sides of the street. I was there Friday night trying to get to a relative's
house a mile down Burnt Store Road, but the road was blocked by fallen
trees and power poles that snapped in half.
-
- As I turned the Jeep around, my headlights lit up the
most devastating site I have ever seen... hundreds of mobile homes reduced
to small pieces of trash. There were no emergency vehicles there yet and
perhaps we were the first to stumble on this site hours after the eye of
Charley had passed over that location.
-
- My friend and I commented to each other how everyone
must have gotten out since there was no sign of life anywhere. As we walked
down the main entrance driveway, we realized how wrong we were. There were
bodies under all that rubble and bodies in crushed cars. The silence was
broken when we heard a faint voice off in the distance calling for help,
but there was nothing we could do as there was no way to get through the
rubble.
-
- It doesn't matter what FEMA or the media may report about
the two mobile home parks that were completely destroyed on that road.
The truth is, there are hundreds of dead there and it will be weeks before
they will be able to recover all the bodies.
-
- We talked to an elderly survivor that night who was walking
around the street in a daze looking for her cat. I couldn't help but think
how she was somebody's mother She refused to let us help her or take her
to a shelter. She told us that most of the year-round residents never left
because they felt there was no danger. Many of them went to the clubhouse
to ride out the storm. She said the clubhouse was the first to go as it
collapsed on all the people inside. We walked up the road towards an approaching
car to let them know the road was blocked, but when we returned to the
Jeep, she was nowhere to be seen.
-
- I can't find the words right now to describe what I saw
Friday night. My own neighborhood on the Peace River is also demolished
and I am one of only 3 who still has a home. As soon as we can finish getting
all the LP gas tanks and lines shut off today, I'll rest much easier as
we already had one explosion.
-
- So, to all RMN readers, keep your prayers headed toward
all those less fortunate than I. Please send your love and compassion to
the survivors. There is no electric, water, or phone service... and there
won't be in our rural area for many days or weeks. Most have no place to
live and are sleeping in cars. Even though my roof leaks, it's a welcome
place for my neighbors each night. I had 100 gallons of water stored up
and 120 gallons of diesel to run my generator. It's the first time I ever
though of my place as a sanctuary, but that's the name my neighbors have
given it now.
-
- It's amazing how life can change in the blink of an eye...
even the eye of a hurricane.
-
- ____
-
- This was written by Michael Edward, an RMN agent who
lives near Punta Gorda, FL. I've been collecting news stories on RMN to
document any info that casualties are being highly under-reported:
-
- http://www.rumormillnews.com/cgi-bin/forum.cgi?read=54068
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