Former Monticello family relies on prayer during Hurricane Irma

     Many of the people in the Midwest know what it feels like to take shelter during a horrendous storm, or deal with the aftermath of a tornado. But for those living in Texas and Florida recently, seeking shelter during a Category 4 hurricane is something no one wishes to experience.

     John and Charity Maehl, formerly of Monticello, moved to the Florida Keys in June 2013 with their three children: Grace, Dawson, and Kennedy. John, who worked for the Iowa DNR when they resided in Monticello, took a job with the Florida Park Service (FPS). After about a year, John was promoted to Bureau Chief for the FPS and the Maehl family relocated to Palm City, Fla., located on the east coast.

     Hurricane Irma wasn’t the first hurricane the Maehl family experienced. In 2016, Hurricane Matthew provided them with their first taste of life in Florida.

     “This was our second hurricane so we were a bit broken in, but not for a hurricane of this size,” they shared. “It covered our entire state.”

     On Sunday, Sept. 10. Hurricane Irma hit the Florida Keys and made landfall as a Category 4. By that afternoon, it was downgraded to a Category 3, but still maintained its monstrous size.

     On Sept. 7, the Maehls realized they were in for a direct hit from Irma, so they prepared to evacuate to Destin, Fla., located in the panhandle of the state, a more than 500-mile drive from their home.

     Not knowing where to go, they were offered a cabin in a state park to stay to ride out the storm.

     What would normally be a seven and a half hour drive took the family 14 hours due to the heavy traffic of Floridians trying to also evacuate north.

     “But that wasn’t our worst problem in evacuating,” they shared. “It was fuel.”

     The entire state, it seemed, with empty.

     The Maehls drove on mostly two-lane roads to avoid the heavy traffic and conserve on fuel. After 500 miles, they passed a gas station that still had fuel. Prior to that, they waited in line at another gas station only to find out they ran out of fuel before the Maehls reached the pumps.

     Before they could even leave their home in Palm City, a lot had to be done to prepare their home for the wrath of Hurricane Irma.

     “There is a fairly standard protocol for this,” the family explained.

     They covered all of the doors and windows with plywood, and stored everything that couldn’t be tied down. They explained that loose items turn into projectiles during a hurricane.

     John said he took down the turbine roof vents and plugged them with 5-gallon bucket lids.

     “The whole idea is to keep water out of the house by shoring up any vulnerabilities,” he said.

     Again, Hurricane Matthew gave them a taste for what was to come.

     They also packed up valuables, important documents, and essentials inside a plastic tub.

     With many homes without power for days, the Maehls took precautions and filled plastic bags with water and froze them. This would be used to help preserve food if they were without power for longer than expected.

     They also took it upon themselves to disconnect the water and power to their home. John said a broken water line or electrical fire during a storm could cause worse damage than a hurricane. So they wanted to prevent that.

     “Evacuating sounds so easy to those who don’t live in a hurricane area,” said the Maehls. “The assumption is that you get in your car and leave.”

     However, in their case, an entire state of residents was headed in one direction: north. The Maehls didn’t know how far they could drive without running out of gas.

     They also were offered a safe haven back in Iowa with family and friends, but airfare was too high for a family of five. By the time airline tickets started coming down, it was too late to fly out of Florida.

     Before heading north, the Maehls sat together in prayer, not knowing what was coming.

     “Our heads needed to refocus from the stress and unknowns, so this was a time to lift it all up to the Lord,” they said. “We prayed for His will to be done with our home and for safe travels evacuating.”

     They shared it was a sinking feeling backing away from their home that Thursday, not knowing what they’d return to.

     When they made it to Destin, the family spent Friday at the beach, trying to unwind. They stayed in contact with those who remained back as the storm got closer to the mainland.

     As the FPS southeast bureau chief, John is responsible for parks throughout the Palm City area, as well as 10 state parks in the Keys. So they wanted to make sure all was well.

     Throughout the day on Friday, the storm started moving west and was projected to travel up Florida’s west coast, eventually heading right toward the Maehls’ new temporary home. So, on Saturday morning, Sept. 9, they decided to get back in the car and head to Palm City before Irma hit. Charity said John needed to be closer to this staff, as many lived in the Keys and was facing the worst of it all.

     “The highways were eerily empty,” they said of their trip back to the south. “In a state with 21 million residents and a constant influx of tourists, with only two major interstates that travel north and south, it was the strangest thing to see the roads empty for most of the trip.”

     They did come across many out-of-state utility trucks headed south as well.

     “It was moving,” they said of the assistance.

     The Maehls arrived home late Saturday night, just a few hours before Irma came on shore.

     During the night, they heard the wind howl and experienced 24 hours of torrential rains. They were also in and out of tornado warnings throughout the day. During some calmer moments, they peeked outside to make sure the home and their property was in good shape. Due to so much rain, a new pond started forming in their backyard.

     “It was a restless night as things pounded the roof and our electricity went off,” they said. The Maehls kept relying on prayer.

     After the storm, the extent of the damage only consisted of downed trees and branches.

     “Almost nothing but a big yard mess,” said Charity.

     They were also without power for three days; three of the hottest and most humid days.

     “But we didn’t complain,” she said, “because so many dealt with it much longer.”

     John said his goal, then, was to make sure his parks and staff was safe and sound.

     During his first day in the Keys to assess the damage, John was escorted on the one road in and out by local police.

     “Going back into the Keys was something I will never forget,” he said. “My first impression was like a bomb had gone off, but it lasted for three hours.”

     He said the Keys were literally cut off from civilization; without power, water, sewer, gas, transportation, cell phone service, and Internet. He said it looked like a third-world country.

     It didn’t take long before the U.S. Navy, National Guard and several other federal and state agencies descended on the Keys to provide aid.

     “Every park was affected by a large amount of debris from tree damages and storm surge,” he said. “The parks in the Keys were hit much harder and have a lot of facility damage. There were a couple of major state parks that were in the direct path (of Hurricane Irma) that will need to be completely rebuilt.”

     John said many of his staff, about 125 people, lost their home as well, which was hard to witness as he accompanied them back to salvage what was left.

     “It was a heart-wrenching week, calling and showing staff their home in the Keys,” he continued. “It was just so overwhelming.”

     Before they all headed to see what was left, John briefed his staff on what they would see, and let them know that their FPS family would take care of them in this time of need.

     “It was an extremely emotional moment,” recalled John, “and it made me proud to work for the FPS.”

     Not knowing where to even begin rebuilding homes and parks, John said he’s been impressed just a week later to see the progress that’s been made.

     “I have been impressed with the ingenuity, commitment, and compassion we have experienced,” he said.

     Almost like a tornado, John explained you could see a solid, sturdy structure totally destroyed, and right next to it a rigid structure still standing, untouched.

     “It’s one of those experiences that is hard to capture with photos and impossible to describe,” he said.

     He said park groups from all over the country (Virginia, Missouri, Wisconsin, Louisiana) came to Florida to help rebuild the parks.

     “There has certainly been more positive news than bad news in the wake of this storm,” John said.

     Schools in Florida closed down on Sept. 7 and reopened for classes on Sept. 18. Charity explained many of the school buildings were used for shelters for those evacuating their homes. She said their three kids were actually looking forward to returning after being cooped up for so long.

     Throughout it all, though, the Maehl family relied on the power of prayer, and certainly felt it from their loved ones in Iowa.

     “We know that God protected us,” they said. The family said they believe in prayer, not luck.

     “We are praising God for all your thoughts, prayers, texts, e-mails, and phone calls,” said Charity. With so many people back in Monticello and Jones County thinking of them, she said 95 percent of the contacts they received came from their Jones County family.

     “Our family will forever have a very special place in our hearts for Monticello and the amazing people that entered our lives there,” they said. “When asked here in Florida what we miss most about Iowa, without hesitation, our answer will forever be the people, as they are family.”