Help Jeanette Recover After Hurricane Milton Destruction
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On October 9th 2024 as Hurricane Milton was making landfall on the west coast of Florida, numerous Tornados were touching down along the southeast coast of Florida while Jeanette was hunkered down in her home in Port Salerno, Florida hoping the eye of the hurricane would steer clear of her since she was on the east coast, but knowing that many other people were going to be in its path of destruction.
Jeanette was born and raised in Los Angeles California and relocated to South Florida in 2001 where she became best friends of my wife and I. In 2004 she then returned to Los Angeles to be back with her family. While back in Los Angeles she put herself through college and gained her Bachelor's degree in Forensics Science, and had gotten married. But due to unforeseen unfortunate circumstances Jeanette and her husband soon became homeless. After several years and hard work and persistence, Jeanette and her husband overcame those difficult times and Jeanette had become a wildlife rehabber; being that she has always loved to try and save every sick or injured animal that came her way. Jeanette also became the family caretaker. She helped with her grandmother and father's care prior to their passing. She then went on to care for her terminally ill Aunt, and her grandfather who went blind. Jeanette’s grandfather who she and her husband had been living with passed away in 2022 at the age of 99. Then just 5 months later in 2023 her husband of 13 years passed away due to health issues at the age of 43.
After some persuasion from my wife and I, Jeanette felt that the Port Salerno/Stuart Florida area would be the right place for her to restart her life and also be closer to us. She was fortunate enough to have just enough money from a small inheritance from her grandfather to purchase a small home in November 2023, just 11 months prior to Hurricane Milton’s arrival. However, just like many other homeowners in Florida, she could not afford the high cost of Florida's homeowners insurance due to being on Social Security disability. When Hurricane Milton struck with its numerous Tornados her home succumbed to one of the Tornados destructive path, though she was lucky to have gotten out of her home alive and still be with all of us today.
Link below shows all photos and videos.
In the very moment prior to the Tornado Jeanette was watching “Ryan Hall Y'all” on YouTube who is a Weather Analyst, and getting his Live Stream of Hurricane Milton with REAL TIME storm updates, while also being on the phone with friends and family members. At the same time in Boynton Beach, Fl. my wife and I were also prepared for the Hurricane and standing near the TV watching Ryan Hall; with my wife on the phone with Jeanette as well.
Ryan Hall with his Storm Chasers and weather reporting team including Meteorologist Andy Hill were spot on with their Tornado warnings and the path’s the Tornados were taking while persistently battering Floridians. Ryan Hall alerted his viewers in the Port Salerno/Stuart area that a Tornado was on radar in Hobe Sound heading in their direction and said "Put your Shoes On and get to a safe place now"!
Jeanette did just that hastily. She put her shoes on, grabbed her 11-year-old Chihuahua named Boxer, placed him in a backpack and secured him tightly to her as she bunkered down in her bedroom closet just seconds before the tornado struck. She was 100% prepared for a Hurricane, shutter's and all; food, water and generators etc. She's experienced earthquakes in the past as she was a California native. However, she never thought she'd be in the line of fire of several massive Tornadoes.
Jeanette described the Tornado that traveled completely over her home as the most terrorizing experience she has ever been through. She said the Tornado sounded like a freight train rolling like thunder. The house felt as if it lifted. The floor rolled and the walls shook. Loud snaps, cracks and bangs while the twister engulfed her house with whistling wind as she held on for dear life while screaming to my wife Maggie over the phone “my house is gone, my house is gone, oh my god my house is gone. Jeanette was now hysterically crying and screaming that she couldn't get out. She was trapped inside her destroyed home looking up at the dreary sky. Thankfully her neighbors were able to free her from her nightmare with just minor cuts and bruises. The whole incident was extremely terrifying for my wife to just hear over the phone what Jeanette was going through at that time but it will never compare to what Jeanette experienced that horrible October afternoon.
Her home is now uninhabitable due to the destruction and may be a complete loss, we just don’t know yet. Jeanette is now staying with my wife and I while she deals with her recovery and rebuilding. Jeanette is going to need all the help and support she can get to rebuild/replace her home, as well as her life once again!
In the days since Hurricane Milton and its destructive Tornado’s Jeanette with the help of my wife and I have tried to save as much of her belongings as possible and place them into storage. Her car was damaged when the garage walls collapsed on it but we were able to get it out of the garage ourselves with a little ingenuity. Jeanette has also signed up for FEMA assistance who has already come to the house to inspect and take photographs, but she has been told it will be a long process with limited assistance.
We will continue to give Updates here on Jeanette’s recovery, and want to thank everyone who’s able to donate, share her GoFundMe link and/or leave supporting comments.
Any little amount of support will help! Thanks again, Rob.
Photos and Videos.
GoFundMe Giving Guarantee: https://www.gofundme.com/c/safety/gofundme-guarantee
Organizer
Rob Eichorst
Organizer
Stuart, FL