How Three Tampa Families Came Together to Overcome Hurricane Devastation
October 14, 2024
As Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton wreaked havoc on Tampa, three neighboring families found strength in community. When floodwaters from Helene seeped into Kat Robinson-Malone’s home, she and her husband sought refuge at Chris and Kara Sundar’s elevated house. Soon after, their neighbors, Brooke and Adam Carstensen, also joined, as their homes were similarly flooded. The trio of families, whose friendships had deepened during the pandemic, came together, sharing meals, caring for children, and cleaning up damage as they weathered the storms.
With Hurricane Milton looming two weeks later, the families decided to evacuate together. In a caravan, they traveled 450 miles to Atlanta, bringing seven adults, six children, four dogs, and three pet rats. Despite the chaos, Robinson-Malone highlighted the importance of the close-knit community they had built. “The most important thing for us was the community we built. And that made all the difference,” she said. Even after evacuating, the families stuck together, relying on each other to navigate the devastation and uncertainties of hurricane recovery.
As the cleanup efforts continue in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis cautioned that debris removal could take up to a year. With 500,000 still without power and fuel shortages lingering, the path to recovery is long. But for these families, it’s their collective spirit that keeps them going. The Carstensens are planning to rebuild their home, while Robinson-Malone’s family is temporarily living in a camper trailer as their house undergoes repairs. Despite the hardships, they remain optimistic, leaning on one another to tackle the challenges ahead. “Why do we live here in a place that’s trying to destroy us?” asked Brooke Carstensen. “Well, it’s all the people that we have here.”
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