Maroon87
02-19-2007, 03:08 PM
Sunday, February 18, 2007
A Florida woman who lost power due to hurricane damage has finally regained electricity, CBS 4 reported this weekend.
Sound normal? Well, the hurricane that knocked out her power was Hurricane Andrew, which hit 15 years ago.
The woman, who didn't want her full name released, had been living in her Cutler Bay home without power since August 24, 1992.
That means no air conditioning during the sweltering summer heat. No heat during cold swings that Florida sometimes experiences during the winter. And no hot water for showers every morning.
"I think it's like everything, you learn how to step into it, and wait, and when you feel it, you take your quick shower," she told CBS 4.
Why did she go so long?
Soon after the hurricane hit, money from her insurance settlement ran out, and the contractor stopped working.
Her home was left half-repaired and not up to government code — meaning electricity couldn't be hooked up. Since she didn't have money to finish the repairs, she had only one option: live with it.
For roughly 15 years, her story went unnoticed.
Then someone tipped off the city and Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez. After a few hours of work by volunteers and an inspection, there was power.
She said the first thing she plans to do is take a hot bubble bath.
A Florida woman who lost power due to hurricane damage has finally regained electricity, CBS 4 reported this weekend.
Sound normal? Well, the hurricane that knocked out her power was Hurricane Andrew, which hit 15 years ago.
The woman, who didn't want her full name released, had been living in her Cutler Bay home without power since August 24, 1992.
That means no air conditioning during the sweltering summer heat. No heat during cold swings that Florida sometimes experiences during the winter. And no hot water for showers every morning.
"I think it's like everything, you learn how to step into it, and wait, and when you feel it, you take your quick shower," she told CBS 4.
Why did she go so long?
Soon after the hurricane hit, money from her insurance settlement ran out, and the contractor stopped working.
Her home was left half-repaired and not up to government code — meaning electricity couldn't be hooked up. Since she didn't have money to finish the repairs, she had only one option: live with it.
For roughly 15 years, her story went unnoticed.
Then someone tipped off the city and Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez. After a few hours of work by volunteers and an inspection, there was power.
She said the first thing she plans to do is take a hot bubble bath.