By Leja Williams
Monday, August 28, 2023 was the first day of classes. It was a beautiful day in Tallahassee, FL but there was talk about a tropical storm strengthening to a hurricane in the Big Bend Region near Tallahassee.
On Tuesday, August 29, 2023 as I was in my first class (Anatomy and Physiology), I received an email from my institution stating that the main campus will be closed for the rest of the week due to Hurricane Idalia. The tropical storm had quickly turned into a Category 3 Hurricane and it was headed directly for Tallahassee.
The next day Wednesday, August 30, 2023 category 3 Hurricane Idalia made landfall in Tallahassee, FL. The hurricane hit through the night, so when I woke up there was minimal debris and I still had power; however, other parts of Tallahassee lost power for up to 9.5 hours. In my apartment complex in the exact spot I always park my car, a tree had fallen and thank God that night I parked my car in a different parking spot.
FAMU’s main campus didn’t have any damage or power outages and everyone I know was okay and not harmed in any way from the Hurricane. This was my first ever Hurricane I’ve ever experienced away from family, and I prepared very well. I filled up my car with gas , I made sure I had water and food for at least 3 days, and I also made sure I had flashlights and had taken all precautionary measures necessary in case I lost power or was harmed in any way during the storm.
Friday, September 1, 2023 I came home to Fort Lauderdale, FL and enjoyed my time with family.
Sunday, September 3, 2023 I attended the Orange Blossom Classic in Miami Gardens, FL and had an amazing end to my very eventful but somewhat stressful first week of sophomore year.
