Surviving a Hurricane-Or Three
by Don Price
 

Thursday, August 12

Today began like any other day. Orlando was under a hurricane watch, but I must admit we have become accustomed to those during hurricane season. The morning reports showed Hurricane Charley entering Florida around Tampa and moving northeast across the state. Orlando, as was the rule, would be spared the brunt of this category 4 hurricane.

Tampa residents had been ordered to evacuate and come to the Orlando area for safety. People fleeing the storm's expected path filled their gas tanks and stocked up on food staples in our city. By Thursday evening, the shelves were bare at the local grocery stores and gas stations were out of fuel.

As part of normal hurricane preparations, I had staff prepare the cemetery grounds and remove hanging plants, small trinkets and anything else that could be blown around. My staff took these precautions lightly, since this is an annual occurrence during the hurricane season.



Friday, August 13

We began our workday expecting this massive storm to blow past us, sending some wind and rain our way. At 10:30 a.m., the local television stations reported that Hurricane Charley had turned. Its new path would cut right through Orlando. How could this be happening? Orlando is supposed to draw tourists, not hurricanes.

Orlando has not been faced with a major hurricane since Donna in 1960, and we are not prepared-the storm-free decades have made us complacent. On top of that, thousands of evacuees are now in Orlando. The storm is projected to make landfall at 9 p.m. in Punta Gorda, hitting Orlando in less than 12 hours. This is not a drill. We are now in panic mode, and there is no gasoline or food for us to stock up on.

Greenwood Cemetery has been a part of Orlando since 1880 and is the jewel of the downtown. Most of the city's founding fathers are buried here. Our streets are named after distinguished citizens who now reside within our gates. We are one of the largest public cemeteries in the state, with more than 100 acres of land and over 60,000 interments.

The tree canopy is incredible. We are blessed with hundreds of 250-year-old oaks, 40-foot magnolias and thousands of beautiful azaleas. No other cemetery in the region can compare to Greenwood's beauty and tranquility. Over the years, the number of bicyclists and joggers enjoying the miles of twisting and winding roads within the grounds has grown tremendously. I have truly been blessed with the opportunity to oversee this utopia on a daily basis.

At noon, the cemetery staff closed Greenwood's gates so we could try to secure our own homes. There was complete pandemonium on the roads. It seemed everyone was trying to get home. Local stations had preempted the afternoon shows-Hurricane Charley was the only show in town.

By 7 p.m., the forecasters told us the storm was moving faster and still headed our way. By 10 p.m., I had placed my family in our "safe room" and tried not to show the concern I was feeling for their safety. About this time, a falling tree down the road knocked out our power. In the dark, I could still listen to the portable radio, and to the wind, which sounded like a locomotive rushing down the street. This can't be good, I thought.

Saturday, August 14

Sometime in the middle of the night, I fell asleep, waking before daylight. After checking on my family, I needed to head to the cemetery. It was still dark, and as I pulled out of the driveway I didn't notice anything out of place at first. Wait a minute-my neighbor's tree wasn't in the road yesterday.

The drive downtown was eye-opening. Trees lay across almost every thoroughfare, roofing materials littered the roads and store signs had blown over. I prayed that the magical "bubble" that surrounded the cemetery would still be intact.

As I turned onto Mills Avenue in front of the cemetery things got ugly quickly. An oak tree at least 8 feet in diameter lay across the road, along with downed power lines. No problem-just go around the block and come in the other way. As I made my way back onto Anderson Street, I saw the police had blocked this major road so that power lines could be cleared. Wow, maybe things were worse than I thought. I made my way back to the downtown corridor, then turned toward the cemetery via a city park. This way was blocked also. Panic set in.

I finally drove around the debris and made my way to the cemetery's back gates. The drive along the fence line was devastating. Almost every tree along the back side of the cemetery was either broken or uprooted. How could Mother Nature do so much damage in one night?

Upon entering the back gates of the cemetery, I felt a strong desire to cry. There wasn't one passable road inside the gates. Everywhere I turned were trees or huge limbs on the ground. It took me close to an hour to make my way to the cemetery office, where I planned to report the devastation to the city clerk. I dialed her number, but it didn't get through.

One thing you don't think about is that when a storm of this magnitude hits, the cell phone towers are destroyed. The landline wasn't working either. I felt like I was stranded in a war zone with no one to commiserate with. There was nothing to do but pull out a chainsaw and get to work. After 10 hours, I hadn't even made a dent in the wreckage.

Sunday, August 15

I asked my family to come out to the cemetery and give me a hand. At home we were still without power, so that meant no Sunday morning cartoons. We loaded up a cooler with drinks and made our way back to the cemetery. I had a wonderful bonding experience with my children that day. Everyone helped out, and I can't remember anyone complaining.


Sunday evening back at home was challenging, since we were still without power.

Monday, August 16

By morning, the devastation brought by Hurricane Charley was national news. Families far away knew the storm had torn through the city and wondered how their loved ones' graves had fared. Since we had no power at the cemetery office, I transferred the calls to my cell phone, hoping that some would get through.

I started fielding about a dozen calls each day: Is the headstone OK? Is the crypt still intact? Is the tree I planted 30 years ago still standing? I became very attached to my digital camera. I took photos of the sites callers asked about, and as soon as power was restored I e-mailed them the images. I found this was a very effective way to answer questions.

Tuesday, August 17

This morning my staff began the process of surveying the damage in the cemetery. We had 82 trees either uprooted or damaged to the point of removal being required. Two hundred and ninety trees had some sort of wind damage, either limbs missing or other trees' tops snarled in their limbs. Almost a mile of fenceline was damaged and the water main on the property was destroyed. Two hundred headstones were toppled. What a mess!

Greenwood Cemetery has been using the same tree contractor, Perfecturf, for the last five years, and it really met the challenge. Within three days of the hurricane, the company was at the cemetery ready to work.

The moving equipment would not fit between the headstones, so we brought in 12 laborers to haul the cut branches and stumps to the side of the road. A front-end loader then hauled the tree parts to the back of the property.

None of us was familiar with dealing with the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA). I now can offer this advice for any governmental cemetery: Do not purchase anything to help with the cleanup that will increase your inventory. FEMA will reimburse you for disposable goods, but not for the chainsaws, trailers or other such items you might buy. Rent them! FEMA will reimburse you (at their contract price) for any rental equipment you need to restore the cemetery.

Also, hourly employees are reimbursed for overtime only if they physically work 40 hours that week. Salaried employees receive only a pat on the back unless your agency has a policy in place-predisaster-allowing management personnel to receive overtime or compensatory time during a disaster, in which case FEMA will reimburse you.

Wednesday, August 18

By early morning, the roads in the cemetery were drivable, so we decided to open the cemetery to the public during normal office hours. The response was incredible; there was a steady line of cars. To make sure the people coming in weren't simply "gawkers" and to help us keep track of how many vehicles we had inside the gates, we asked everyone to check in at the office.

Looking around the property, I sensed that we needed to bring the community together to help out. I sent news releases to all of the local media outlets asking people to come together and "help those who can't help themselves." It worked! Every local television station ran a story, as did the local paper. Radio stations promoted our cleanup day.

Reporters called my office, looking for "quotable quotes" to use in the broadcasts. Those of you who attended ICFA University with me know I have no problem saying things without thinking. (See "Making the Media Love You," left.) The Orlando Sentinel ran four stories on the cemetery the week of our cleanup day.

Saturday, August 28

Today was Community Cleanup Day at Greenwood Cemetery. We asked people to bring their own equipment, since other departments are using the city's rakes, shovels and other equipment. Approximately 200 people showed up to help out. Businesses called to offer supplies and pledge support. It was amazing, especially considering that just about everyone who was helping us had their own problems at home-damaged roofs, downed trees, no power. Still, they set aside their own concerns for the day.

Wednesday, September 1

When I left the office today, I felt we were really making progress on getting the cemetery cleaned up. Boy was I wrong. This evening we received the news that Hurricane Frances was heading toward central Florida. Two major hurricanes within three weeks? Impossible!

Thursday, September 2

Mayor Buddy Dyer announced that this category 3 hurricane is indeed going to affect us. We were asked to man every city vehicle with an open bed and clear the remaining piles of debris from the streets of Orlando. We spent the entire day driving through the city, loading large piles of tree limbs onto our vehicles and depositing them at specified sites.

Sunday, September 5

Orlando was pummeled with 50 mph winds for over 13 hours. Needless to say, this did not help things. Even though the debris had been cleared out, the ground was still saturated from the rain and some trees had been leaning. Some homes just had tarps covering damaged roofs. Gas and food were still in short supply.

Monday, September 6

Labor Day isn't a holiday this year. When I arrived at the cemetery gates, my initial reaction was one of relief. At least this time the gates were passable. It looked like the wind damage was aesthetic rather than physical this time, though the office again was without power or phone service.

The grounds were again littered with limbs and Spanish moss, but the cemetery lost only three additional trees, and the wind even helped in a way by blowing down most of the dead branches Hurricane Charley was responsible for in the treetops. I'd been trying to figure out how we were going to get those down, and now Mother Nature had taken care of it.

Tuesday, September 7

Perfecturf arrived today with a full crew, even though their office in Okeechobee is only 20 minutes from where Frances made landfall. They took a hit from the hurricane, but nevertheless showed up to help us clean up the mess at Greenwood.

Thursday, September 9

Hurricane Ivan is lurking out in the Atlantic and projections show it coming through the middle of Florida. Local officials have asked us to keep our homes and offices boarded up. When will this all end?

I used to enjoy my ride into work. I would leave just before dawn, and if I planned it right I could watch the sun rise over the downtown area. This was my Zen. Now all I see is the blight. Homes are boarded up; blue tarps cover roofs; trees litter the streets; and gas stations display "out of gas" signs. My formerly peaceful drive is now stressful.

Saturday, September 11

The cemetery's charm is starting to return. We had a funeral this morning during a light drizzle. The rain somehow brought out the smell of fresh cut grass and the aroma of flowers. I heard the screech of bald eagles flying overhead, and when I looked to the skies saw a rainbow.

Monday, September 13

New projections show Hurricane Ivan missing Florida and heading for the Gulf States. We have decided not to have another community cleanup at the cemetery until the lives of most people are back to normal. Neighbors need to concentrate on helping neighbors who have lost their homes. Power still hasn't been restored everywhere. Gas is still in short supply. Rivers and lakes are flooding. Post-traumatic stress is rampant.

When our lives are back to normal, maybe we can plan a community tree drive to help us replace the trees the cemetery lost.

Thursday, September 23

Our eyes have been glued to the televisions all day. Hurricane Jeanne had been stationary in the Atlantic for over a week. Projections had shown the storm moving north, so that Orlando would not be in her path. The storm began to head north, but then "looped." She is now heading on a track very similar to the one Frances took. The new prediction is that Jeanne will make landfall late Saturday night and then move northwest toward Orlando.

We have a new problem. The FEMA debris removal contractors have mostly pulled out of central Florida and headed to north Florida to take care of the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan. If we get hit by another category 3 hurricane, there will be no contractors here to help with clean-up efforts. I have been on the phone most of the day securing contractors just in case the most recent hurricane predictions are accurate.

Friday, September 24

I was awakened at 5:30 this morning by my caretaker. Last night, his mother had to go to the hospital, and now he needs some time off to see to her health. Wow, what timing. When I arrived at the cemetery, I cleared my schedule for the day and began to oversee the hurricane preparation process with the grounds crew.

One thing I did not expect was the flood of calls from funeral homes trying to "move up" funeral services to this afternoon and tomorrow morning. The last two hurricanes caused massive power outages, and the funeral homes are not looking forward to the challenges associated with the storage of the deceased without power.

We began preparing the grounds for the impact of another hurricane while also opening graves for immediate burials. We even joked about putting in a "drive through" lane for fast-food-style burials. Same quality of service, without the frills.

Saturday, September 25

I arrived at the cemetery at 6:30 am to finish boarding up the offices. This morning's forecast still has Hurricane Jeanne heading toward Orlando.

How can we possibly recover from three hurricanes ravishing our beautiful landscape? My head is spinning. Maybe I should print new business cards: "Greenwood Cemetery, established 1880 ... blown away 2004 ... reestablished 2004." Of course, the graves themselves weren't disturbed. Maybe we could sell T-shirts: "Your house might have blown away, but Grampa is fine 6 feet under at Greenwood."

After finishing up the last service of the day, I began the lock-down procedures for the cemetery: Change the answering machine message, print signs for the front gates, shut down the water mains and take one final look around the grounds for a mental picture of what I am leaving behind.

Monday, September 27

Well, it's another post-hurricane workday at Greenwood Cemetery. No power and no phone service-again! From the initial inspection, it looks like Jeanne did more damage than Frances. The storm up-rooted only three more trees, but she tore through the remaining ones and damaged them tremendously. There are huge limbs everywhere. The cemetery is back to resembling a war zone.


When Jeanne passed through Florida, the storm was moving west. Before the storm cleared the state, it turned north. The damaged caused by winds blowing from one direction as she crossed the state and then from another direction as she moved northward was unbelievable. Our trees are showing stress from the "twisting" effect.

Wednesday, September 29

We are still revising numbers measuring the damage caused by the storms. We initially reported that the cemetery had lost 88 large trees. This number keeps climbing. As we begin to trim the tops of the oaks, we are finding that the successive storms caused massive injuries to the structure of these majestic trees. We now anticipate losing about 125 tree, a loss financially unrecoverable through FEMA. It seems that after Hurricane Andrew devastated south Florida in 1992, FEMA stopped replacing trees.

Thursday, September 30

I received the paperwork to today from the FEMA debris removal contractor. The company removed 4,150 cubic yards of tree debris, or as the paperwork states, "vegetable matter." To put these numbers in perspective, a tractor-trailer holds a little less than 88 cubic yards of waste. So picture about 50 "big rigs" loaded with what was once part of our incredible landscape-and we are still cutting down trees!

Today, as I was walking through the cemetery, I noticed that the bald eagles were beginning to rebuild their nest, which was blown away weeks ago by Hurricane Charley. Mother Nature has a strange way of letting the creatures know when things are returning to normal. Until today, these birds have not made any attempts to rebuild their home. I hope today's activity is a sign that the storm season is over, at least for us.

I am planning to have a "name the bald eagles" contest during the month of November. It's a shame that I've relied on these birds for comfort and a feeling of normalcy in our daily routine yet I don't have a proper name for them. There is an old saying that "if you love what you do, you will never work another day in your life." I used to feel that way, but lately I've lost my focus on that feeling. Every day has been a challenge. Every minute has been stressful.

On my way home, I drove to the Wal-Mart Superstore and saw an elderly gentleman handing out "smiley face" stickers to store patrons. With all of the trauma we've been through during the last six weeks, it was a heart-lightening sight. I actually forgot about my problems and began to grin. Does anyone know where I can get some of these "magical" stickers for the cemetery?