And everything is covered in thick, gray muck, much of which has dried and chipped and turned dusty.ĭown their short hallway, Pat grabs a flashlight from the guest bedroom, where the two have spent the past week sleeping. There's still a lingering stench she hates in there, likely from the chicken and shrimp that went bad when the flood destroyed their fridge. The corner kitchen Pat keeps crossing, lit only by a window above the sink, is lined with debris and bowls from the cabinets that she's tried to empty and dry out. Loose papers of family recipes are laid out on the surviving tables. On various pieces of furniture, coin-sized patches of bright green mold that sprouted up only get bigger each day.ĬDs of Janis Joplin and Dean Martin rest on a muddy rug that covers part of the wood tiling. A thin line that's etched on every wall - about halfway to the ceiling - is a constant reminder of how high the floodwaters reached. An armchair balances on the dining table, a television set sits on its side against the living room wall, portraits of the sea hang crooked. Most of the furniture was lifted and tossed by Hurricane Ian's floodwaters and now lies randomly strewn around the home. She's excited, she says, to finally get her hair in order.Īs they follow each other up and down the hallway at the heart of the house, there's no mention of the chaos around them. And, of course, shampoo, for the first shower they'll take in more than a week. The candy helped her quit smoking more than two decades ago and still helps calm her nerves. ![]() It's quickly filling up as she lists out loud to her husband, Leslie, what they'll need to take with them to the shelter: wash cloths, toothbrushes, a change of clothes. Next to the front door, 83-year-old Pat Pickett has stacked a small cardboard box on a stool by her open fridge. The sun is on its way down, and without electricity the narrow, two-bedroom mobile home on San Carlos Island will soon be dark again, lit only dimly by the couple's few candles. (CNN) - There's an eerie silence inside the Picketts' living room Wednesday evening as the couple packs up to leave. Charlie, in his red pick-up truck, has been a lifeline for the couple next door.īy Christina Maxouris, CNN.
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