What was to have been a leisurely visit to Florida with her father turned into three days spent on the run from Hurricane Charley for Lake Orion resident Ashley Cartwright.
The 13-year-old Oakview Middle School student and her father, Kevin Cartwright, arrived in Fort Myers on Aug. 11, two days before Hurricane Charley was set to make landfall on the Florida coast. Ashley said she knew about the hurricane, but that her father hadn’t heard about it.
‘They were there Wednesday night, then they were evacuated Thursday morning,? said mom Judy Cartwright, who was home in Lake Orion at the time. ‘They drove 30 miles inland and then they were evacuated again.?
After that, the Cartwrights drove to Ashley’s brother Justin’s house in Orlando, where they rode out the storm.
‘They were actually in Orlando when the hurricane hit, with over 100 mile per hour winds,? said Judy.
‘It was the biggest storm I’ve every seen,? Ashley said. ‘We had to go back to Fort Myers to get a flight home on Sunday night.?
Ashley took a lot of pictures in Fort Myers, one of the hardest hit areas, two days after the hurricane went through. The Cartwrights flew home on Aug. 16 without any problems.
‘The flight was crowded, but that was it,? Ashley said.
In Fort Myers, Ashley saw the National Guard blocking the bridge to the island.
‘If you went to ride a boat across you got a really big fine, or if you swam across,? she said. ‘They were blocking the road because there was sand all over it, and washers and dryers too.?
‘Some of the people that lived there went over the bridge by foot, and then they were stuck over there,? Judy said.
In Orlando, Ashley watched some of the hurricane with her father and brother from her brother’s porch.
‘We were in the bathroom for a little while,? she said. ‘We kept having to come inside because my dad didn’t think it was safe.?
Ashley wasn’t scared, but her friend was.
‘It looked like lots of rain and flying branches and stuff,? she said. ‘It sounds like someone’s howling.?
After the hurricane, Ashley’s brother’s house had some damage.
‘There were screens all ripped up and the siding was coming off,? she said. ‘There was a palm tree uprooted in the back yard.?
Back in Fort Myers, where there was no power and many people couldn’t go into their homes, finding a hotel was impossible.
‘We couldn’t find a hotel so we stayed with friends,? Ashley said. ‘We were trying to get ice, but there was no ice and no batteries.?
In Orlando, she said it was hard to find food. ‘Just about everything was closed, and a lot of places were out of stuff like bread,? she added.
‘In Fort Myers, a lot of the restaurants cooked their food and gave it away to people,? Judy said.
Ashley said she would like to return to Florida, as long as it’s not during another hurricane.
‘There are supposed to be two more hitting,? she added.