artist for Florida-Hurricane Ian relief

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Will it be a monster or will it be a bluff? This is always a guessing game for Floridians during every hurricane season.

Five years ago, we had hurricane Irma.

We evacuated Ft. Myers on the last day and drove to Georgia with three little kids. The roads were packed and the drive took twice the time it should have.

Last year, we moved to the next town, Naples, FL, and we decided to hunker down this time.

Monday, September 26: I made the last groceries trip, filled up the gas, and anxiously checked on the latest hurricane movement.

Tuesday: everything was calm, and we had hope rising in our hearts. We did a lot of praying for our house and city.

Wednesday morning: everything went downhill. We lost power early that morning. The wind was blowing like crazy and the rain poured in buckets The water kept rising in our backyard I made a mental note of the water level on our play set ladder, and it slowly crept up.

But by the end of the day: we could sense the worst was over. Our backyard became a lake. But thankfully, water never made its way into our house.

We were very fortunate, but my heart hurt for the many people who suffered unimaginable loss.

Like my kid’s sweet violin teacher, the flooding was so dangerous that she had to get on her roof with her elderly father But thankfully, the rescue boat saved them both.

The thought of the damage to her bright yellow house and her being homeless today made my heart ache.

This is why I am painting a series called “Florida Strong.” It consists of the iconic scenery in my area. I plan to do a fundraiser, and all the proceeds will go to hurricane victims.