Love’s Travel Stop opens to help hurricane evacuees
"We opened at
Aker said the pace had slowed down a bit, but still steady.
"We are open 24/7 every day of the year," he said. "We are ready."
Aker said the availability of gasoline was not an issue and travelers were stopping for gas, supplies and also to eat at the in-store
She evacuated, but her husband stayed behind.
"I left at
"I was not happy (about her husband staying behind)," she said. "But our new house (they moved in in February) was boarded up and there is high place above the garage he can stay."
Davis said her husband, who is an electrician, wanted to stay and look after the property and a few other locals were staying as well, getting together Thursday evening for a hurricane party.
Most of her neighbors did evacuate, she added.
Davis did bring her dog,
They have only lived in
As she left, the outer bands of the storm were moving in.
"The clouds were swirling," she said. "I have never seen anything like that before."
Davis, a
"We didn't fool around," she said.
Gasoline was becoming more difficult to find near the coast, but tankers were coming in to replenish, she said.
Traffic was not bad on Thursday, she said, and she also saw along the way many of the utility trucks from power companies that have been sent to help to restore power after the storm.
"I saw at least 200 in the parking lot of the convention center in
Mercedes and
They had stopped at Love's for gas and food and to walk their two dogs, Kasper and Molson.
"We got the dogs, food and clothes and left," she said, adding that they were on their way to
Keklak said their house was only 4 or 5 feet above sea level so it could be in danger.
"But a lot of our neighbors stayed," she said, a worry she will carry with her.
For
He is a flag car driver and was returning home after a job.
Although Mitchell's home is inland, he said it's in an area that has already seen flooding this year from excessive rain.
"We can't stand any more of this," he said.
Mitchell does not have time to gather his wife and three children to leave so he will return and stay there.
"My biggest concern is my family," he said. "I want to be with them and do all I can to protect them and our property."
Jerry and
The problem is, they rented a house for the week on
Those ferries stopped running Wednesday as the last of the evacuees left.
They planned to stay with relatives in
"We do have insurance (for a lost vacation),"
Oddly enough, they did the same thing last year and had to evacuate the island for a day due to severe storms.
"But that (evacuation) was only for a day," he said. "This year, we may not make it at all."
"We need to be patient with the increased traffic flow on Exit 9," she said. "They will be stopping at the local restaurants and grocery stores and hotels as people journey through to get out of the hurricane's path."
Null encouraged everyone, especially businesses, to accommodate the travelers as much as possible and be extra patient.
"They will have to return to their homes at some point and will be passing back through here," she said.
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