While Hurricane Michael was knocking on our doors and wrattling our windows, we stayed put, sheltered the best we could, prayed, and attempted to sleep. But during those pre-dawn hours, we saw encouraging lights moving through our neighborhoods — police cars and fire engines cruising through the residential areas, shining lights on our abodes and checking for obvious damages.
By the time the sun rose on the morning after, they were out in force — public safety people: EMS, police, sheriff’s deputies, state troopers, fire and rescue. Our Sumter County EMA performed admirably, under the direction of Nigel Poole who refuses accolades, praising his team instead.
Then came the linemen on trucks from Sumter Electric and Georgia Power, and others from out of town contractors, to untangle the messes around town and restore power.
We are so very thankful for the assistance of all these people in keeping us safe and helping to restore our lives to a semblance of normalcy.
The citizens must pat themselves on their backs. Crime was low even while tensions ran high what with no water, no ice, no food, no power, and no gasoline.
We observed neighbors helping neighbors in clearing debris from their yards. City and county governments will be collecting the debris in the coming weeks and months.
We will survive, but only because we believe in us, our community, and we have faith. Neither flood, nor tornado, not hurricane …..