The hurricane Helene is one of the worst that Quebecers living in Florida have seen, but they consider themselves lucky since their homes did not suffer heavy damage.
• Also read: Hurricane “Helene” kills at least 10 people in the southeastern United States, including a 4-year-old girl
• Also read: Palm trees at 45 degrees and green lightning: “I have never heard wind like that,” says a Quebecer in Florida
Johanne Clément, a resident of Safety Harbor, near Tampa Bay, is happy not to have suffered too much damage, despite the intensity of the hurricane Helene. Its sector was especially affected by significant flooding.
“This is the first time I’ve been so worried. The flooding combined with the high tide really caused a lot of damage (…) if there had been more than seven feet of water, we would have been in danger.”
Mme Clément, who has lived in Florida since 1992, does not hesitate to say that this is one of the worst hurricanes she has seen.
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“Calm returned at 6 a.m. Friday morning. There were wind gusts of up to 70 miles per hour. Otherwise, it was 40 mph winds all the time, she said. It’s terrible the cleanup that will have to be done in Florida.”
Only the closing of Mme Clément broke down. Several branches also came loose from the trees.
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“We were very, very lucky,” says Mme Clement. At my sister’s house, who lives in St. Petersburg, the water almost reached the house.”
The Tampa Bay Municipal wharf is completely demolished.
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Strong winds in Fort Lauderdale
Julie Arel has spent every September in Florida for five years. To date, Helene is certainly the most violent hurricane it has ever seen, particularly in terms of the force of the winds.
“The winds were incredible. I’ve never seen that here. No one moved and no one worked,” she says.
Photo provided by JULIE AREL
Mme Arel adds that she did not notice any real damage, despite the intensity of the storm. The alerts sounded frequently, she testified, and the neighborhood looked out for each other to ensure everyone remained safe.
“It all went away,” she finishes, relieved.
Ravaged businesses
Sonia Gauthier and her husband Serge own a beauty and wellness center on St-Armand Circle, an island located an hour from Tampa Bay.
“We cannot return to our business, but we already know that there is going to be damage (…) We have a neighboring business which was completely flooded, the water broke the window of its café” , deplores Mme Gauthier.
The woman from Montreal must wait before being able to see the damage linked to the floods, for her, this is the most important thing.
“My husband and I have put a lot of love and investment into this business, we don’t know when it will be possible to reopen (…) in the meantime, we are focusing on helping the people in our community,” concludes -She.
