NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. – For the first time in Nassau County, Florida Power & Light gave out hurricane meal kits to some of the area’s older residents on Monday to ensure they have what they need in case they have to ride out a hurricane.
More than 150 seniors received a hurricane meal kit at the Westside Senior Life Center in Hilliard, courtesy of FPL and the Nassau County Council on Aging.
Carol Saviak, FPL’s external affairs manager for North Florida, said people were able to stop by the center to pick up the kits and volunteers made deliveries to some people who couldn’t leave their homes.
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Inside each kit are snacks, canned goods, water, juice and vegetables. The kit includes enough shelf-stable food and water to last someone for one day, but each person was able to get up to three kits.
“In the event of a severe storm where you are out of power, it is important to have supplies on hand to be able to take care of you and your loved ones,” Saviak said. “For seniors, having daily nutrition is critical to their health.”
Every person was also given a hurricane survival guide that contains crucial information, including shelter location options, what to do if you’re caring for someone with special needs and even what to do after a storm passes to make sure you are safe.
“[It means] everything,” said Dorothy Richo, who received her kits Monday. “Because I live alone. If the lights go off, I would just be stranded with nothing to do.”
Some who received a kit said the one storm they will never forget was Hurricane Dora in 1964.
It was the only storm to directly hit Northeast Florida, and the late George Winterling, WJXT’s legendary meteorologist, was the only forecaster to accurately predict the hurricane’s path.
“It didn’t do any damage to where I was,” said Thelma Alerbtine, Richo’s sister. “But [for] my father-in-law, it blew the roof off his house and everything. That was kind of a scary adventure for me.”
Albertine, Richo, and their friend Melba Powell were among those who received kits on Monday.
“I remember Dora better than any of them. I never want to go through another one of them,” Powell said. “I lived in Georgia over in St. George. My baby wasn’t even 3 months old. I had no way to warm his milk. I just had to give him cold milk. It was awful, but we were all safe. [We] did not have any lights, but we were all safe.”
FPL plans to do a similar distribution on Thursday in Putnam County.
“It is heartwarming to talk directly with the seniors that we’re helping. We’re making a difference by being able to take one worry away from them as they worry about hurricane season,” Saviak said. “We are committed to supporting our customers in the blue sky and during a storm.”