Tampa, FL.
Anna Maria Island, FL.
Our Faceplant store and family home have both been hit hard by Helene and Milton in recent weeks. The destruction we’ve witnessed has been devastating.
Just as we all began to dig out of the wreckage and devastation of Helene, Milton came barreling forward and forced us to evacuate a second time.
Three feet of flood water (although only the bottom level of a stilted home) caused shocking destruction. Two feet in our retail store damaged nearly all of our merchandise. Time is critical after a flood. The sooner you get the water out and begin cleaning and drying, the better chance you have of salvaging whatever is possible. We filled large plastic bins to get everything out of the store so we could get to the flood-soaked wood fixtures and flooring that needed to be removed.
We were overwhelmed by the damage and the flooding of emotion that comes from sifting through family memories ravaged by the storm. As my husband Kevin and I evaluated and prioritized our recovery objectives, we simply had to give up on salvaging products from our retail store and left this job to our staff.
As I write, nearly a week after Milton, we remain without power and our street impassable from downed trees and powerlines. Many close friends are now homeless. Many have lost everything. Now buried in piles of debris and broken homes, all of us have lost the comfort of the beautiful island we’ve called home.
So far, this is a story you’ve heard and witnessed on the news. And I can personally attest to all of it. But like every storm, we seek the silver lining in the clouds. Here’s mine:
Our staff couldn’t bear the thought of those bins of beautiful bamboo going to waste. They laundered what was necessary and distributed an entire store full of products to friends, neighbors and others who were in dire need of both clothing and comfort.
As we continue to weather the wreckage of this storm, I feel gratitude for our amazing staff who share our commitment to our local community.
Although we can’t touch the depth of loss in our community, we’re grateful that what could have been a loss to us, could bring comfort to so many.
- Brigitte
