Hurricane evacuees arrive in Pasco County

Just a few of Hurricane Michael’s victims arrived at in Pasco County on Monday -- dozens of special needs residents leaving home behind for the temporary comforts of the Fasano Shelter.

“We’re looking at about 65 clients, 23 caregivers, and about 12 pets that might be coming,” said Greg Crumpton with the Pasco County Health Department.

Evacuees included Bill Maylor from Panama City.

“We live in a 14-story building. The top two floors are gone,” Maylor said.

The shelter’s main room is what the evacuees from the Panhandle will be calling home for an indefinite amount of time. And the people who run the shelter supply every with a bed pack, filled with basic essentials for their stay. 

“In there they have the sheets, and the pillows, clipboard, and some items that will be needed to cover the bed,” Crumpton said. “In order to make our clients as comfortable as they can.”

For those like Maylor, it’s all they have. 

“I don’t know anything about the place where I live or where my property is in the apartment and everything else like that there,” Maylor continued.

“You know, I can’t imagine what they’ve been through,” Crumpton said. “I know there’s been total devastation; I know that they have lost everything that they’ve had. So all we’re trying to do is to make them as comfortable as we can. We know that they will probably end up having some mental health issues with stress over this.”

For Maylor, relief will come with a good night’s sleep.

“It would be a pleasure if I could just go to sleep and relax,” Maylor added. “It’ll be good. Listen, we’re lucky; could have been worse.”