Tallahassee residents in local shelter ‘caught off guard’ by tornadoes, still powerless
A string of three tornadoes that swept through the city Friday were unexpected for many — including Tallahassee native Sandra Curry, who never experienced a tornado before.
On top of still being out of power as of Tuesday, Curry is also out of work until August — all while trying to stay strong as she cares for her 27-year-old special needs son Damon Landsey.
“It’s emotional,” said Curry, 50. “We haven’t had power since Friday. I had to throw away two garbage bags filled with food from my refrigerator and I’m low on money. The storm just caught us so off guard.”
Four days after Curry's power outage, she sought shelter through the American Red Cross Monday night at Florida A&M University’s Lawson Center ahead of more storms that rolled into the region Tuesday morning.
“I had to put my pride aside and come,” Curry said. “If the resources are here, we have to use them. We couldn’t sit in the dark and stay in the heat any longer.”
Curry has been living in Tallahassee for nearly 24 years, and she works for FAMU Food Services but is out of work for the summer break.
While Tallahassee power outages have gone done significantly since well over 80,000 on Friday following the tornadoes, Curry’s house remains without electricity.
More: Storm updates: Tallahassee outages drop below 10K; tornado threat could return this weekend
Recalling the morning of the violent weather Friday — where three tornadoes and 100-mph straight-line winds ripped through Tallahassee and caused widespread destruction — Curry says she heard a bunch of wind right before her power cut off in her home on Palm Beach Street, just minutes away from FAMU, which was severely affected by the storm.
“At first, I thought it was just regular rain,” Curry said. “I didn’t think it did so much damage around town.”
The temporary Red Cross shelter on FAMU’s campus — where space to sleep, hot showers, meals and other resources are provided — was set up over the weekend. About 60 people registered to seek shelter by Sunday night, according to the university.
Sharon Council Carraway, executive director of the Capital Area Chapter of the American Red Cross, says the number dropped to about 40 as of Monday night.
“It’s devastating what has happened to our community,” said Carraway, a Tallahassee native. “But the fact that our volunteers are willing to provide help and comfort to those who are impacted is huge.”
Luckily, no severe damage was done to Curry’s home after the tornadoes in spite of fallen trees all around her neighborhood. Curry says she is grateful and is trying not to complain about the unexpected circumstance.
“We just have to keep the faith, because we’ll eventually get the power back and everything will fall into place,” Curry said. “And the food can be replaced but our lives can’t, so I just thank God to still be alive. We’re waiting and being patient.”
The American Red Cross shelter will remain open for as long as there is a need for it, according to Carraway.
Contact Tarah Jean at tjean@tallahassee.com or follow her on X: @tarahjean_.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee residents seek shelter after 'devastating' tornadoes hit
