Central Minnesota man recounts Hurricane Ian experience: "We were stranded"
PALMER, Minn. -- Ties to southwest Florida run deep in this part of the country, and some of the survivors of the storm are Minnesotans.
It started as a much needed escape for Paul Braun, a combat vet, and his wife Barb, who run a restaurant in Palmer, Minnesota,
"This was supposed to be a getaway. We finally got a vacation," Braun said.
And then - they got word a storm was brewing: Hurricane Ian was on the way.
"The airlines had already closed down the airport, the locals were saying just stay put if you try to drive now, there's no gas at the gas station. We were stranded," Braun said.
They were staying at a friend's condo on the 33rd floor of a Fort Myers building - which gave them a bird's eye view of the fury and a first-hand feel for the wind.
Braun describes the images he says he will never forget the wind, which was "coming in and blowing through three inch doors towards us to the point we thought they were gonna blow completely open. The building swaying so much that the chandeliers were just swinging around."
Their clothes hanging in the closet swayed with the building - and their fresh water reserve in the tub slushed - as his wife got motion sickness in a grounded building.
"Seeing the eye of the storm going past was one of the most amazing things I have ever witnessed, that let you know you are right in the middle of it," he said.
"There wasn't a single intersection that wasn't blocked by trees that had damage, every home was damaged. It was just like being back in Iraq. People say a bomb going off literally the damage to the buildings," he said.
But just like in battle, he also saw the helpers.
"For example there was a roofing crew that showed up in a boat," Braun said.
The Brauns donated their leftover supplies to that crew and days later flew home, upset and yet inspired.
"The people of Florida are very resilient and you know they will come back," he said.
If you would like to help those impacted by Hurricane Ian, click here.
