Tonia Perkins’ neighborhood was unrecognizable.
Perkins, a 37-year-old UF Online business administration junior, tried to look for the house she has lived in for 30 years in Callaway, Florida, from the shattered window of her parents’ car.
Her house was in the path of Hurricane Michael.
“There were people walking up and down the street,” Perkins said. “I had to ask them what road is this.”
About 160 UF Online students, like Perkins, might live where Hurricane Michael hit, said Evangeline Cummings, the director of UF Online. Advisors contacted about 130 affected students as of Thursday.
Hours after searching for her home, Perkins finally found it with her garage destroyed, sunroom shattered and with extensive water damage.
At least the house was standing.
Even with her circumstances, Perkins said she did not want to withdraw from the two courses in which she is enrolled.
“I don’t want to redo it,” Perkins said. “I don’t want to start over.”
Advisors are contacting students to tell them that instructors are aware of their hardships, Cummings said.
“We don’t want them to worry about contacting us, but we want to check in,” Cummings said.
Cummings said they are telling affected students about available resources such as U Matter, We Care and Aid-A-Gator, an emergency hurricane funding program.
“We are here to help them recover,” Cummings said. “We want them to know that the University of Florida stands with them.”
Contact Gillian Sweeney at gsweeney@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @gilliangsweeney
Ryan Krammes, a 28-year-old UF forest resources and conservation junior, used a chainsaw to separate a trunk in three parts, helping remove fallen trees in Tallahassee, Florida.
