PLANT CITY, Fla. -- Helen Whidden of Plant City now has the proof to show for her trunk load of blessings.
"It was scary," she said hours after her neighbor's 60-foot tree smashed through the middle of her back porch and deck. "It was rattling like something really hard hit your house. It was like a big truck or Jeep maybe had run into the back of it, like something just slamming it."
Whidden was huddled with her granddaughter in the bathroom from 10-11 p.m. Sunday when she heard the loud thud.
"I just said thank God. I knew how blessed I was that we weren't hurt," she said.
A few miles away, Ronnie Carlough got a call from his mom at about 9 p.m. Sunday as Irma was closing in on Plant City.
"She's hysterically crying saying my roof is gone, my roof is gone," he said.
Carlough, his brother and nephew drove through the storm to get his mom and her husband out of the brick home. What typically takes about 10 minutes, took the trio close to an hour because of the wind and rain.
Mom, Judy Yancey, said she was "petrified."
Less than 24 hours later, Yancey's home was a congregating point for family, friends, neighbors and strangers who wanted to help cover Yancey's roof. About 80 percent was ripped off during the storm.
Photo by Katie LaGrone
"I don't know some of the people out here," Carlough said. "True strangers helping out trying to get this roof intact. I'm just overwhelmed by all of the support."
According to Plant City leaders, about five homes and businesses had minor structural damage, about 70 trees fell and a small number of street signs and signals were out.
As of Monday afternoon, city officials were still assessing the damage.
