Just when we thought we had everything under control, Hurricane Helen came out of nowhere and completely threw us for a loop. Living two and a half hours from the coast, and with my experience from years in Florida, this storm was NOT on our radar. All the news outlets had it heading towards Atlanta, so we didn’t prepare. Around 4 a.m., I woke up to serious winds, and by 4:20 a.m., the kids came running into our room.
I had been debating waking them up but kept watching our local news updates, which downplayed the storm. Unfortunately, everyone was wrong. As the wind howled, it felt like we were parked next to a freight train. For the next few hours, the sky lit up bright blue as transformers blew one after another. The sound of trees cracking mixed with the relentless wind, and at one point, I blurted out, "There goes another tree!" Brian had to remind me to be careful with the kids in the room.
Our neighbors and I were texting nonstop, and I soon learned that a tree had fallen on my friend's son's bedroom. Thankfully, they had moved him into the living room just before it happened. That’s when it really hit home, and Brian and I reassessed whether our room was truly safe. We moved into the living room to wait out the storm.
When it finally passed, what greeted us was beyond comprehension. Fallen trees were everywhere, both at our home and the renovation house. Thankfully, none had hit our house, but the damage around us was staggering. We had about eight pines down on the new fence. People were abandoning cars, rushing to check on loved ones, and I can honestly say I’ve never experienced anything like this before—and I hope I never do again.
We spent the next 11 days without power, and the renovation came to a standstill. But most importantly, we were safe, and our home remained intact.