Gulf Breeze News
Where were you in the early morning hours of Sept. 16, 2004?
Did you huddle in your home, using towels to soak up the water seeping under your door? Did you hear the hurricane-force winds rip shingles off your roof? Maybe you evacuated and returned in a state of shock when you saw the destruction.
The Gulf Breeze Historical Society is collecting tales of citizens’ experiences before, during and after the storm to chronicle the historic events.
Trish Briska, a member of the group, said stories will be published in a book for posterity.
“This is one of the most defining experiences of this community,” Briska said, speaking about Hurricane Ivan. “It’s going to affect us for many years to come.”
Even if your story isn’t spectacular, it still will offer a glimpse into the experiences brought by Hurricane Ivan.
Ongoing recovery efforts are an important component of the historic record, and citizens are encouraged to tell about their efforts to deal with insurance companies, repairmen, etc.
Some of the questions to spur the memory process are included in a questionnaire to return to Splash Magazine by May 17, 2005. Depending on response, some stories may be published in a future issue. All storm questionnaires will then be forwarded to the Gulf Breeze Historic Society.
Questionnaires may be submitted in three ways: hard copy by mailing them to Gulf Breeze News, P.O. Box 1414, Gulf Breeze, FL, 32562; in hard copy brought by our office at Harbourtown Unit 40 (after Feb. 22 we will move to Unit 35); or electronically by emailing them to lisa@gulfbreezenews.com. Photographs are encouraged and can be returned if necessary.
For more information, please call Lisa Newell at Gulf Breeze News, 932-8986.
