Deaf Florida man describes Hurricane Ian impact
Here is a brief interview with a deaf man from the Fort Myers, Florida area, Jesse Trujillo. He and his family went through a direct impact from Hurricane Ian yesterday.
Jesse Trujillo: I was standing outside and it felt like… you know, the pressure from music speakers, the bass… but it was a different feeling. It’s hard to describe. There was so much pressure and vibration. I was astonished.
(Video clip of the exterior of Jesse’s home as it is being pounded by rainfall and winds)
My kids were fascinated by it, but I felt it was starting to be dangerous so I told my kids to go inside. I was still standing and making sure that everything was okay. I witnessed a tree fall on my power line. It caused the line to become bent and the power poles leaned inwards. I started to feel unsafe so I went inside the house. I felt like someone was knocking on my back door, near my bathroom. I initially thought that there were people who needed help, who wanted to come inside. I tried to open the door but it was jammed. I didn’t know what it was. I had to trudge around the house to the back and saw that the roof of my patio collapsed and was pounding against the door. So I had to come around. I almost injured myself from the aluminum roof. You know how dangerous it is. But I got inside. Everyone thought the back door would break because of the constant slamming. It was really bad. It was the worst experience.
(Someone is filming Jesse as he walks around his property, which shows damage to his patio roof and flooded ditches by the road)
My house was damaged by Category 4 Ian. Look at this damage. A tree fell on my power line right there. The power towers are barely holding the line. I’m waiting for officials to come. I can’t touch it because I don’t know if it’s live or not. Too risky.
The wind blew so hard. I feel that it was 130 to 150 mph. The trees were swaying and leaning. I’m surprised they didn’t break! It’s amazing to see the trees still standing. But some trees fell down. My patio was damaged. And the screen in the front is broken. I don’t know how. Maybe because of the wind. And just… wow.
Alex: Jesse said his fiancé was injured when she tripped on a strap holding their generator. She has bruises on her side but will be able to recover. Jesse said their children are doing fine. I asked Jesse if others in his neighborhood evacuated or if they stayed put like he did.
Jesse: Everyone on my street stayed. The neighbor at the end of the street, at the corner, had a tree fall on their house. Their roof was strong enough that it held the tree. Their fence fell because of the tree. And their well was broken and water was gushing out. There’s a lot of damage here. But it’s not as serious as Fort Myers Beach. They were hit with 15 feet of water, so it is very serious.
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Alex: Jesse said he lives about 25 minutes away from the beach, so he is spared from the most serious damage in the area. He still has no electricity and the gas in his generator is running out. He said gas stations in his area are out of gas so he’s prepared to siphon gas from his vehicles.
(Video clip by Jesse as he is walking around his property)
Jesse: This is my generator. It’s a lifesaver for our refrigerator, lights, fans, and other things in the house. But the main A/C and lights are not on. So I have this on a temporary basis. I hope we get power soon but I’m doubtful because officials said it could take any time from 1 day to 2 months. It depends on the damage out there.
Alex: I asked him to share any final remarks.
Jesse: I want to thank all of you who are my followers, my fans, and those who sent me messages. It’s impossible to respond to everyone. I’m okay. I want to save my batteries and everything. I hope you understand. When I’m ready and have power back on, I’ll reach out to everyone. And thank you, I really appreciate all of your thoughts and concerns about us. We are doing okay for now. Thank you.
Alex: Thank you, Jesse. Hope you all can get your power back on sooner than later.