In the Eye of the Storm

October 10, 2018, changed us forever. It was hard to imagine coming back from this. But at heart, the people of the Florida Panhandle are strong. They are the heroes in this story. The ones who inspire hope and wield inexhaustible strength. This is their story. Told in their own words. In their poetry. In the images they captured. Hurricane Michael brought so many changes to the Panhandle of Florida. The most obvious changes, to the landscape and to the buildings, is unmistakable. Following the storm, the area looked like a warzone. One thing that has not changed is the resilience and faith of the people in the region. Watching the countless volunteers, the residents reaching out in their own hour of need to help another, witnessing random acts of kindness daily, has been inspiring and life-affirming. In the Eye of the Storm: Stories of Survival and Hope from the Florida Panhandle is a collection of stories from people who rode out the storm, were first on the scene in the aftermath, who have weathered the weeks and months since Michael slammed into the area, and who have come from far and wide to assist. They are daily reminders of the strength of the human spirit and the power of hope so needed in the aftermath. Countless people rode out the category 4 (almost category 5) storm and swear they will never do it again. Volunteers pouring into the state in the days following the destruction repeatedly said they have never seen anything like it. City and county officials promise rebuilding has begun and that the area will be back stronger than ever. It's the residents though, the ones who woke the following morning to a world inexplicably altered, that are at the heart of this project. The survivors. The broken. The devastated. It's their voices that tell the story best. Their beauty and resilience is inspiring and so worthy of recognition. This is for them.