Evacuee Story: Tropical Storm Fay

For complete story, go to http://hurricanefayevacuee.blogspot.com

FEATURED IN LANSING STATE JOURNAL (NATION & WORLD)
August 22, 2008

Local woman forced out of Key West

Tourists given mandatory order to evacuate from hotel

Gerrick Lewis
gdlewis@lsj.com

A passion for teaching kids sent Rachel Armour to Key West. Tropical Storm Fay forced her out.

Armour, a 1999 Eastern High School graduate who moved to Florida in May 2007, was staying at a hotel when she was forced to evacuate.

"It was about 9:30 (a.m.) Sunday when someone slipped a paper under my door," the 25-year-old said. "I read it, and it said, 'mandatory evacuation for tourists.' Because I was living in the hotel, I had to leave."

Children sent to father

Armour said she had 45 minutes to gather her belongings and evacuate. In a panic, she grabbed all she could: medical records and clothes for herself and her 8-month-old son. Before the storm, she sent her two older children to their father in Dayton, Ohio.

Left behind was all the materials for her writing program, Choices i Control. Armour crafted the essay-writing system as a teacher in Houston and has taught the program in Chicago, Ohio and Lansing at Sankofa Shule Academy.

"I knew about the hurricanes but I figured I'd take a risk because I knew kids all over the U.S. needed my help," said Armour, who taught English at Key West High School before the storm.

Armour said it was during the trip on a Greyhound bus back to Lansing that she realized how devastating the storm could be.

"The wind was blowing so hard I thought the bus was going to flip over," said Armour who has been staying with family in Lansing since Tuesday. "I had never seen it rain like that in my life. I was scared. I just began to pray that we would make it."

'She is a strong person'

Her brother, Albert Overstreet, said the storm is a temporary setback.

"She could go to California and the world will swallow up, she could go to Boston and it's too cold ... you shouldn't let things stop you," said the 30-year-old Holt resident. "She is a strong person. One of the strongest I know."

Armour said she isn't so sure.

"I don't know if I would want to live there anymore," Armour said. "I believe there are people there who are dead, or stranded. I just want to start a new life."