Would you travel TO the aftermath of a national disaster? Have you ever driven through a town recently impacted by a tornado or flooding? How about driving to Panama City after Hurricane Michael? A near category-5 hurricane with sustained winds of 155mph.
This past week we set out on a 15-hour road trip to help our friends in Panama City after Hurricane Michael. It wasn’t our typical adventure to Florida for the beach or for a cruise, but this trip impacted us in ways we couldn’t have imagined. It furthered our respect for nature, grew our hearts for service and filled us with gratitude that we cannot measure.
Why We Traveled to Panama City after Hurricane Michael
Brian and I were glued to the weather channel. We are complete weather nerds. Since we hope to one day live along the coast, we are extra obsessed with hurricanes. After Hurricane Michael made landfall in Florida the images and stories that shared were painful to watch. I said to Brian, “One day, let’s go and help people after a storm.” He quickly agreed that “someday” we needed to do that.
In what I like to call, a “God Moment” my husband’s friend and colleague called. He owns a business in Panama City that received extensive damage. He explained how bad it was there and that he wanted to help feed his employees and the community and asked Brian to help him coordinate. Greg is from Kansas City as well and wanted to share his love of Kansas City Barbeque with his Panama City community.
The next couple of days were a whirlwind of constant phone calls and coordination efforts. At the end of those two days, my husband had secured food from Fiorella’s Jack’s Stack Barbecue that would be delivered to Panama City and lined up a commercial smoker in Alabama that would be used to heat the food. He then turned to me and said, “Looks like we are driving to Florida.”
My fantastic Mom jumped into action and agreed to take care of our daughter and our two crazy pups. We loaded up the truck and headed south.
Thank you to Greg and his sweet wife Sandee for opening this door and inviting us in to serve.
Panama City after Hurricane Michael
The morning we drove into Panama City was incredibly foggy. It was surreal to see the hundreds of utility trucks waiting for dawn and the curfew to expire so that they could begin their long day of repairs. As we entered the town, the damage level increased exponentially, and the air took on an eerie quality. Everywhere we looked there was damage and destruction.
The People of Panama City after Hurricane Michael:
While resources were filing into the area, it was the local volunteers that truly touched our hearts. It was those that had experienced the loss of their own home or damage to their neighborhoods filling the streets with hearts to help others.
The Assistant Principal of a Middle School that had been destroyed.
She was volunteering at the front desk of Shores of Panama condo complex. The volunteers were working to fill the condos with area workers and volunteers. It was also being used as temporary housing for displaced families given FEMA numbers.
She told me that she had been a little bummed with her assignment because she didn’t feel like she would be helping people at the complex. This Assistant Principal said she changed her mind when a young family from her school came in looking for a room. With tears in her eyes, she told me that this student and their family had spent the last three nights in their car.
The Team from Panama City Toyota
The Team from Panama City ToyotaOur friend opened up his parking lot to serve his community. Many of his employees worked alongside us all day helping to prepare and serve meals. Chris who help us organize the line of people there to receive a warm meal.
Lee who, only after two days of working alongside each other, shared that his home was destroyed in the storm and that he was “staying” in his car. What touched me about Lee’s story was that there wasn’t an ounce of self-pity in his voice. He felt that he would be just fine.
Also, our new buddy Joseph who expressed that he couldn’t wait to return to work, and how thankful he was for an employer who cared. He was so eager to get back to work that he and Lee joked about how they wouldn’t even complain about patching a bunch of tires. Apparently, to a skilled service mechanic, patching tires is the simplest of tasks.
He worked tirelessly next to us serving others, and they continued after we had to leave. We exchanged contact information, and I know we will see Joseph again. (Hopefully with a nice cold beer in hand, right Joseph?) By the way, after returning home, I learned that they began patching tires for their community at no cost – be careful what you wish for my friend. 😉 
Those who came to receive a meal with hearts of love and gratitude. The lady who came through our line at a time when we were out of ribs. A short while later I motioned for her to come over and gave her some hot ribs off of the smoker. She put her plate down and wrapped me up in the biggest hug. She said, thank you, God bless you. Goodness. Some of these sweet souls had lost all of their earthly possessions, and she asked God to bless me? I was overcome with emotion.
Our entire journey lasted less than a week, but the people of Florida will be affected by Hurrican Michael for weeks, months and, in some ways, years to come.
Our Return Home
We probably fed a few thousand people a hot meal those days, but we were the ones that were filled. The guilt we felt during that first hot shower on our journey home was immense. And, our hearts overflowed with an overwhelming sense of gratitude that is difficult to put into words. Our home in Kansas City that we drove back too. The family who missed us while we were gone. A family that was all well fed, safe and abundantly blessed.
Do I think that we changed the course for Panama City while we were there? Of course not. But, maybe we gave an extra hug to someone that needed it. Sure, maybe we gave someone a warm meal and a bit of rest. As a result, maybe they knew they mattered and that they weren’t alone.
While my goal was to help a small group of people in Panama City, the reality was much different. I think this experience really opened my eyes to the divide between the “haves” and “have-nots”. Those that have the resources to leave and those that have no choice but to stay. And of course, those that choose to go back and help their neighbor. It further opened my eyes to the care that we desperately need to be giving to our environment and of course, to one another.
The first questions our family asked when we returned from Panama City after Hurricane Michael –
#1. Would you do this again?
#2. Do you still want to live near the ocean?
Yes, to both. 100%.
Have you ever journeyed to help others? Please share below.
In “Part Two,” I highlight a few ways that we can all help following a natural disaster.
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