I live in Miami, Florida. In 1992 I lost my home to Hurricane Andrew- a cat. 5 storm. My house was a large, well-built home and yet, at the time, no one was too worried and we had no hurricane shutters. Being raised in Florida and going through other storms, I thought I would be prepared. I was not.
Within 20 minutes of a cyclone hitting my area, the roof blew off, all the windows exploded and it was raining in side the walls. My husband and son and our cat were in one bathroom unable to move around because we did not put shoes on and there was broken glass everywhere. Long story short: I was out of the house for a whole year while it was rebuilt.
I moved a few miles south, right down the block from the bay, and fixed up a nice home. As a widow now when the hurricane forecasts started coming in, I'll freely admit (as a long time believer) I was TERRIFIED!
I knew what a cat. five could do and I lived by the water! My son, daughter-in-law, two grandchildren and two dogs all loaded into a car and headed to Orlando, thinking it would be safer north and inland.
We all prayed over and over for my daughter who remained behind in Miami , all the believers, our neighborhoods, etc.
We moved three times in Orlando because the time shared we were in had huge expanses of glass and now we heard that Irma would come across the state and we'd get the eye! We kept dragging our luggages, dogs, kids, etc. within the complex to get a safer place until the night we hunkered down while the eye passed over Orlando as a cat 1 storm. Scary but not devastating.
We left for home the next day and there was no gas, food, electricity along the roads and the few places that did have power had mile long lines, which we were forced to sit in while people were fighting and carrying on with the "me first" mentality. A crisis DOES bring out either the best or the worst in folks!
We made it home, taking an extra three hours to get there but PTL GOD'S MERCY prevailed!
Our homes were secure, our fences down, trees everywhere and I could not get to my own home due to the flooding, but I'm finally back in. (And I have power!)
All I can say is God spared us, and like most of those who follow Doves, we are expecting the judgment, a severe judgment to fall on the world and to fall on America for what they have done in turning from the living God to paganism. God still holds the believer in His powerful hands. The newscasters and some Christians have said the storm was NOT God's doing. It was (Mother-nature) I totally disagree. Anyone who has read the Bible knows nature is not a living entity that makes decisions but God is over all of nature, He is over storms, wind, waves, etc. and Luke 21 shows us that in these last days the winds and waves will be roaring. It is birthpangs and not a one of us should give credit to anyone but GOd who has the right to bring judgments to nations's that have forsaken Him.
All the believers that previously had gone through Hurricane Andrew wer scared, and in the final outcome, we are all still here, still grateful, still praising His name and awaiting His return for us in the Rapture. His blessing are enormous, His grace and mercy have been extended past what we imagined within our fearful expectations. here we are, alive to glorify Him for another day.
Hollis Caravetta

JUST KEEP DRIVING HURRICANE IRMA SEPT. 2017

JUST KEEP DRIVING, THAT IS WHAT ALL THE FOLKS DOWN SOUTH SAY
WHEN A HURRICANE IS CATEGORY FIVE
AND IT IS SURELY HEADED OUR WAY.
DON’T STAY FOR THE GRAND DELUGE,
LIKE NOAH, WE DON’T NEED ANOTHER FLOOD,
THE CLEANUP IS IMPOSSIBLE
WITH BROKEN TREES, AND TATTERED HOMES ALL FILLED WITH MUD!
BOARD UP THE HOUSE AND QUICKLY LEAVE
TOSS YOUR VALUABLES INTO THE CAR
AND GIVE IT ALL A DISCOMBOBULATED AND HASTY HEAVE.
FIND A NEW DIRECTION WITH A SMART PHONE
AND LIMITED INTROSPECTION
HEAD NORTH ONE WAY OR THE OTHER
MAKE A FEW HARRIED PHONE CALLS
TO CO-WORKERS, FRIENDS AND MY BROTHER.
HEAD FOR A CLIME WHERE THE WEATHER IS SUBLIME?
BUT WE’RE STILL FLEEING PARADISE
WHILE WE’RE STILL IN OUR PRIME.
TAKE TO THE OPEN ROAD, LEAVE AT THREE A.M.
THERE’S NO TIME TO WASTE WHEN YOU LEAVE IN SUCH GREAT HASTE.
FIVE PASSENGERS, TWO DOGS, SUCH A RIDICULOUSLY HEAVY LOAD.
WE’RE HARDLY A BAND OF GYPSIES USED TO THE LIFE ON THE OPEN ROAD.
WATCH THE SCARY NEWS, IT’S ALL ABOUT THE WEATHER
LET’S JUST SAY A PRAYER AND BE GRATEFUL
THAT AT LEAST WE’RE ALL TOGETHER
MOVE THREE TIMES, AVOID WINDOWS AND FALLING BLINDS
A BEAUTIFUL RESORT BUT SADLY, NO VACATION, SURELY NOT THIS TIME.
FORGETTING YOUR MOST IMPORTANT SUITCASE, LEAVING IT BEHIND
WHO WAS LAST TO CHECK THE ROOM AND WHAT WAS ON YOUR MIND?
AFTER THREE MOVES FROM PLACES
WITH LOTS OF INSECURE RATTLING WINDOWS
AND FAR TOO MANY OPEN SPACES
HARRIED NIGHTS GAVE US ALL A FRIGHT,
WIND WHIPPING THROUGH THE TREES
IN WHAT WOULD NEVER BE CALLED
A SOFT AND GENTLE SOUTHERN BREEZE
WE RAN FROM A CAT FIVE ONLY TO BE IN THE EYE OF A CAT ONE
WHEN WE FINALLY THOUGHT WE WERE SAFE AND SOUND,
THE NEWS REPORTS, THE HURRICANE HAD JUST BEGUN!
BUT NOW THAT IT IS ALL OVER.
AND WE’RE ON OUR WAY BACK HOME
IF I FIND MY HOUSE STILL STANDING
I DOUBT IF I’LL EVER WANT TO ROAM
FLYING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, TRYING TO FIND SOME GASOLINE
LONG LINES, AND SHORT TEMPERS FLAIRING,
WITH SOME WHO WERE CUTTING THE LINE
IN FRONT OF THOSE WHO WAITED PATIENTLY FALLING WAY BEHIND.
YOU TOOK MY SPACE YOU TOOK MY PUMP,
THE GAS IS ALL MINE, MINE, MINE!
THE DOG POOPS IN THE CAR,
I GUESS WE DROVE WITHOUT AN OUTTING,
JUST A MILE OR TWO TOO FAR.
THE SIGN ALONG THE HIGHWAY SAYS, “WELCOME TO SUNNY FLORIDA”
AS THE AD FLIES IN HOPELESS TATTERS.
THEY SAY THE WEATHER CAN’T BE BEAT,
BUT THERE IS NO ELECTRICAL POWER ANYWHERE,
SO SUNSHINE DOESN’T MATTER!
PASSING LAKES THAT WERE ONCE OPEN PRAIRIE FIELDS
WE SEE COWS TIPPED OVER FROM THE RAINS AND WINDS
NOW LYING STARTLED IN THE FIELD, WHAT WAS THAT DAISY, THAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT?
NOW I’VE GOT NO MILK TO YIELD..
WE’RE FINALLY HOME HOME, BACK IN OUR BEAUTIFUL CITY,
BUT NOW THE TREES ANRE ALL KNOCKED DOWN,
AND IT DOESN’T LOOK SO PRETTY.
WE PULL AROUND THE CORNER,
AND THE HOUSE IS STILL STANDING THERE
A FEW BRANCHES AND SOME FENCING LITTER THE LANDSCAPE
BUT WE KNOW THAT BY HIS MERCY
AND BY HIS GRACE ALONE,
THIS FAMILY HAS SURELY HAS BEEN SPARED..