KANSAS CITY, Mo — As the aftermath of Hurricane Ian continues impacting millions of people in Florida, some of those affected have local ties to the Kansas City area.
DeNetra Norris, a Kansas City-native, moved to Orlando just two months ago for business.
Norris woke up Thursday morning counting her blessings as she walked outside to find her neighborhood in ruins.
According to Norris, there were downed power lines as well as bushes and branches scattered across parking lots.
“The doors were rattling a lot, the windows, the wind was extremely intense, and just to be honest, I didn’t really sleep really last night because I didn’t know what to expect,” Norris said. “Thankfully, I had a lot of support being here. I had a lot of people fill me in on how to be prepared for the situation.”
Norris says the scariest part of the experience were the unknown and lack of control. She took shelter with her mom and two kids, relying on her neighbors who have dealt with Florida storms before.
“The community is really coming together. I will say that I’ve seen people out with their dogs and on bikes," Norris said. "I’ve seen people come out with brooms to clear out the gutter, there’s people asking like, 'Hey are you okay? Does your family need anything? Are ya’ll able to get to the store?' It just makes me happy because it lets me know that there are places where morals and values are important.”
Meanwhile, about four-and-a-half-hours southeast of Orlando, Jeff Rexford, and Independence-native, is currently quarantined to his house in Cape Coral, Florida.
Rexford says neighbors are currently under curfew with no water, electricity or a way out.
He described the hurricane to be “like a freight train.”
“I just didn’t think it would be this bad. And it is — it’s that bad,” Rexford said. “It’s gonna take a lot of rebuilding, it’s gonna take a lot. It really is.”
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