During Hurricane Ian, a nail from a crumbling roof fatally entered the heart of a woman who was spending her 40th birthday on holiday in paradise with friends.
Nishelle Harris-Miles flew from Dayton, Ohio, to Fort Myers, Florida, just prior to the storm’s arrival, according to Harris’ cousin Chanel Maston, who spoke to WLWT.
The gang, according to Maston, used a sheet to attempt to stick together as water flooded the room.
“We tied ourselves together with a sheet and laid on the mattress.” This water came out of the floor so quickly. The ceiling was pummeling us.
She said, “We attempted to remove the roof and sleep on the mattress.” It dislodged the roof so that it wouldn’t crush us, and the roof fell down with us.
During the chaos, Maston posted footage to Facebook and contacted his family in Ohio to let them know that the gang was safe.
She continued, “We began calling folks before the water truly began to rise.”
We dialed 9-1-1. We dialed 2-1-1. We called everyone to help us escape, but nobody came.’
The persistent wind and rain continued to batter the home’s roof until it ultimately collapsed, trapping Harris-Miles inside and rupturing a major artery.
On Sunday, a balloon release was held at Harris-Miles’ house in Dayton, Ohio, her daughter stated on her Facebook page.
Nishelle Harris-Miles left Dayton, Ohio, for Fort Myers, Florida, just prior to the onset of Hurricane Ian.
The relative of Harris-Miles eulogized her by saying, “She liked everything.” She enjoyed living
Her cousin stated, “She became entangled beneath.” A nail punctured her principal artery. She recently turned forty on September 23. She recently turned 40.
She passed away on September 29. Facebook posts indicate that the remaining members of her group were able to return home on September 30. Her remains continue to be in Florida.
The gang was stuck inside the house for fourteen hours before being rescued.
Maston eulogized her by stating, “She adored everything.” She cherished life.
This stance was repeated on Harris-Miles’ Facebook page, where she wrote: ‘I love to have fun, enjoy myself, you only live once.’ She also wrote: ‘If anything doesn’t earn money, it doesn’t make sense.’
The relative of Harris-Miles captured footage of fast rising floodwaters surrounding the residence where the party was staying.
As floodwaters receded and search crews moved deeper into places first blocked off from the outside world, it was anticipated that the death toll in Florida would continue to rise.
On Sunday, a balloon release was held in honor of Harris-Miles at her house in Dayton, Ohio, according to a post on her daughter’s Facebook page.
On the victim’s Facebook page, a friend said, “I love you, sister, and I hope the heavens enjoy your company as much as we did.” You were without a doubt the life of the party.
Your spirit will resonate with us till we meet again, continued the post.
Another friend added, “I’m so glad we were able to celebrate your birthday with you. I’m so glad I told you I loved you before to our departure. I shall always miss you.
On Sunday, the death toll from Hurricane Ian surpassed 80, as residents in Florida and the Carolinas faced a recovery that was projected to cost tens of billions of dollars and as some officials faced criticism for their reaction to the disaster.
As floodwaters receded and search teams advanced further into places once sealed off from the outside world, the death toll was anticipated to rise.
Hundreds of people have been rescued as emergency personnel combed through flooded or completely submerged homes and businesses.
The hurricane weakened Saturday as it swept across the mid-Atlantic, but not before it destroyed bridges and piers, hurled enormous boats into buildings ashore, and tore off the roofs of hundreds of thousands of homes, leaving them without power.
The majority of confirmed deaths in Florida were due to drowning in storm seas, although others were caused by Ian’s terrible aftermath. Authorities report that an elderly couple died after the electricity went off and their oxygen devices cut off.
National Guard commander Daniel Hokanson, a four-star general, stated on Saturday that more than one thousand people had been rescued from flooded areas around the southwestern coast of Florida.
Saturday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said that multibillionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk would provide 120 Starlink satellites to “help bridge some of the connectivity challenges.”
SpaceX’s satellite-based internet system, Starlink, will facilitate high-speed access.
Florida utilities worked to restore electricity. As of Sunday morning, approximately 850,000 homes and businesses were without power, a decrease from the peak of 2.67 million.
Wednesday, the White House in Washington announced, President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will go to Florida. However, a brief statement provided little information on the scheduled visit.
The storm wrecked the bridge to Pine Island, the largest barrier island off Florida’s Gulf Coast, rendering it accessible only by boat or air. The volunteer organization Medic Corps, which responds to natural disasters globally with pilots, paramedics, and physicians, went door-to-door to ask locals if they desired evacuation.
Some escaped by helicopter, and many described the terror of being trapped in their homes while the water continued to rise.
Chris Schnapp was at the Port Sanibel Marina in Fort Myers on Saturday, waiting to hear if her 83-year-old mother-in-law from Sanibel Island had been evacuated. Schnapp’s mother-in-law was not among the people from the island who arrived in a pontoon boat with luggage and animals in tow.
On the island, she remained. There, my sister-in-law and brother-in-law own two enterprises. They evacuated the area. She did not wish to leave,’ Schnapp explained.
She stated that she was uncertain whether her mother-in-law was still on the island or had been taken to a shelter.
On Pine Island, the largest barrier island off the Gulf Coast of Florida, buildings were reduced to splinters and boats littered streets as a volunteer rescue group went door-to-door asking inhabitants if they wanted to evacuate. People recalled the terror of being trapped in their homes as the water level continued to rise.
Joe Conforti fought back tears as he remarked, “The water continued to pound the home, and we watched as boats, houses, and everything else went flying by.”
He stated that he would not have survived if his wife had not suggested they get on a table to escape the rising water: ‘I started to lose my mind, because when the water’s at your door and it’s splashing on the door and you’re seeing how fast it’s moving, there’s no way you’re going to survive that.’