The house of Wilmer Capps and Loranda Smith in Panama city (FL) was flooded during the hurricane Michael, and their youngest son was born just 3 days after the RAID of the disaster. So the life of a small Hatch, in fact, started… in the Parking lot of Walmart.
«We had it all. Work in Panama city, home. And literally in an instant we lost everything,» says Lorrana.
When «Michael» approached the coast of Florida, the parents sent the 3 older kids to relatives away from the storm. Loranda that’s supposed to give birth, but the nearest to their home hospital were evacuated.
Wilmer began in haste to seek for his wife another hospital — and the only one where there were places were in Alabama. From there the Hatch in 3 days after the release of a deadly hurricane on the coast.
Released from the hospital, the couple were unable to find a hotel room near all of the hotels were filled with refugees from Florida.
Back in Panama city and found that their house was virtually destroyed, Wilmer and Loranda settled… in the Parking lot of Walmart. (Supermarket allows travelers to sleep in their Parking lots.)
The couple was afraid to go to the shelter, opened to Federal Agency on management in emergency situations, fearing that a newborn is not caught any disease. (All the shelters were full.)
«I had no choice. It seems that Luke got heat stroke, he would not eat. Then we went to Walmart where it was cool, where the child is not bitten by mosquitoes. And remained in their Parking lot,» recalls the father of the baby.
Wilmer Capps was desperate to find shelter for his wife and their son Luke, born just three days after #HurricaneMichael. So the three of them settled in for the longest of nights in the best spot they could find: The parking lot of a Walmart store. https://t.co/XEcEIXUc6V
— Stars and Stripes (@starsandstripes) October 18, 2018
After spending the night in the Parking lot, the family met the security guard at the supermarket who helped them with money and shelter. A man found the hotel a free air-conditioned room.
The family still has no permanent home, but now, thanks to the kindness of strangers, they look to the future more optimistic.
«If not for good people, we would have had to go back to the supermarket Parking lot,» says Wilmer.
