REPORT FROM FLORIDA: Terrible disaster, 42 dead, damages between 25 and 48 billion dollars

Written by: Tvrtko Vujić from Florida for NA Patria

The situation was critical, everything that could be broken was broken.

At the beginning of last week, they announced that my 11-year-old son would not go to school, and then all schools were closed. Then workplaces were also closed. Before Hurricane Ian, I went to the store, I couldn't find water, there was no food for people or pets. Everyone bought matches, candles, battery-powered lamps... We knew what was coming because we saw what happened in Cuba.

A hurricane of the fourth out of five categories came from the west coast of Florida at a speed of 255 km/h. There was no electricity, internet, phone, TV or radio, and we could no longer receive messages from the authorities. Previously, we received information every two hours.

According to the last report we received, it was announced that the hurricane was directly above our small town of Port Orange, Daytona Beach. Then we just waited for what would happen. The hurricane then exited into the Atlantic Ocean.

The authorities first announced two types of evacuation, mandatory and voluntary. Then an order came that no one should move anywhere, because any movement was too risky. Many had already left for safer places, we stayed here.

Trees are broken and uprooted, now I look at the street from the window and a little duck is swimming on it. About 2.5 million people were without electricity. Life stopped.

When the hurricane hit, it was terrible. We are on one side of the road, and on the other side is a lake. We watched the water level rise and it came within two meters of our house.

Roofs were torn off, the car wash right next to us was swept away, but we are alive and well, thank God. Today is the first day I can see the news and reports of what happened. Before, you in Sarajevo knew what happened in Florida more than we did.

For now, the information is that 42 people have lost their lives, the damage according to the latest news from insurance companies is between 25 and 48 billion dollars, and the loss of tourism has not yet been calculated.

There will be insurance companies that will have to close their doors and cease operations.

People are walking the streets and looking at what happened. Before the hurricane hit, we were removing larger trees and traffic signs because they were on vehicles. Then the hurricane came and destroyed a lot.

But, we are alive. School starts next week, most of the city still has no electricity. I still can't get out of the street, which is now like a pool.