Like thousands of Floridians, Dan Brinson and his wife fled from Hurricane Irma not knowing where they were going or what they might return to.
“We grabbed all the important papers and irreplaceable pictures and said, ‘If it’s here when we get back, that’s all right, but if not, we’re alive,’” he said.
By Thursday morning, as the 68-year-old IT specialist packed up his RV at Columbia’s Mimosa Landing Campground, the forecast was much sunnier, both literally and metaphorically. Their home in Land O’ Lakes, north of Tampa, was not damaged and power was back on.
The couple left Columbia Thursday to resume normal life, but they plan to be back after a warm reception.
“The people here have just been phenomenal, just coming around and saying, ‘Is there anything we can do to help you? Just good ole Southern hospitality. I grew up in Florida, and that’s the way it was when I was a kid. Not so much anymore; so many people have moved in,” Brinson said. “We loved it here; we’ll be back.”
The campground off Mississippi 35 near the Pearl River had 19 spots filled by evacuees this past week, according to employee Angela Price. That included 15 campers, two cabins and two tents.
“It went wonderfully. Everybody was just so nice, and then the community around here. I still get phone calls from the ones that are wanting to help out and wanting to pay for them to stay,” Price said.
Columbia opened its arms, with Mayor Justin McKenzie offering an invitation via Facebook, as Irma struck Florida as the most intense hurricane the United States has seen since Katrina. The Category 5 storm roared through Caribbean with winds of up to 185 mph and landed in Florida Sunday as a Category 4. It caused widespread flooding and damage, and Reuters reported the death toll at 81 as of Thursday.
For the Brinsons, the evacuation ended up being a sort of unplanned, working vacation. Dan Brinson works for a company that handles the IT tickets for Hilton hotels. It’s a 24/7 job and can be done remotely but requires an internet connection. With the prospect of losing power and their web connection, they made the decision to leave Friday and headed north to Tallahassee.
The rest area there was full, but at the Walmart in Quincy, Fla., they experienced a pleasant welcome. It’s not a 24/7 operation, but the employees decided to stay open and help evacuees. There were 25 to 30 RVs who spent the night in the parking lot Friday.
The Brinsons were initially going to head to Alabama, but when Irma began to track west they decided to head to Mississippi to stay out of its path. His wife began looking for campgrounds on the internet and found Mimosa Landing.
Many local people came by to help them, including a church that brought dinner Wednesday night.
Price, who works at the campground, said the Kiwanis club donated care packages along with many other groups and individuals who gave food and toiletries. She was proud of the response to the disaster.
“The community has shown its true colors,” she said.
Pictured Above: Florida resident Dan Brinson prepares to leave Columbia from Mimosa Landing Thursday. | Photo by Charlie Smith
