On the evening of October 7, 2016 Hurricane Matthew impacted the Savannah, Georgia area bringing 60mph winds and over 17 inches of rain.
Luckily, my family weathered the storm with minimal damage. We even made it through the worst of it maintaining our electric and internet services. The next day, however, we lost power for over 24 hours while presumably repairs were being made. It has remained mostly on since that time.
I assumed the rest of town was spared heavy damage. My first short trip from my home proved this to be false.
I listened to emergency radio throughout the storm and its aftermath. I heard so many “Signal 15s,” I lost count. Signal 15s are apparently a security alarm going off. Police had to stop responding, placing them on a lengthy waiting list. Despite a dusk-to-dawn curfew, our friends were among those victimized by these looters. Making the loss of property worse, the family cat ran away when the door was left open. Luckily, the pet was eventually found. Rebuilding and restoring their home will take considerably longer.
Being distracted from the world because of Hurricane Matthew has made us miss the latest Donald Trump gaffe, a weekend of College football, and our Sunday church services; but it has allowed us to spend time bonding as a family. We have played chess, card games, and have spent more time talking than we are usually afforded. My oldest, Virginia, spent her 19th birthday without power. She was a trooper and never complained about being stuck inside without any fun thing to do. Lora and I have pretty great kids.
I am very thankful we emerged with our health and property intact. Many were not as lucky as we were. Please be in prayer, and consider donating to a charity that could help those adversely affected.
God bless!
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Gregory Bratton 