Xenia firefighter helps hurricane victims

A.J. Smith’s parents are among those affected by storm.

Xenia firefighter A.J. Smith, who found his parents safe and uninjured in St. Joe Beach, Fla., in the days after Hurricane Michael, returned to the Sunshine State to continue helping his parents and others recover from the storm.

Thirty-five people were killed after the Category 4 hurricane, with peak winds of 155 mph, made landfall in the Florida Panhandle on Oct. 10.

The devastation “is hard to describe without you being there to see it,” Smith said. “People are helpless. They don’t know what they’re going to do for jobs.”

This is the second time Smith has been down to help his parents and others who are recovering after the storm.

“There’s mountains of debris everywhere. You know, people are dragging stuff to the curb for the county to come pick up,” he said.

Smith said the supplies he trucked down on Friday, including non-perishables, tarps, plastic sheeting, hammers, nails and food, were gone within 24 hours.

His haul included 2,000 pounds of dog and cat food, which went to the Port St. Joe animal shelter.

Building supplies and food went to the Port St. Joe Beach Volunteer Fire Department.

“It’s slow going. Everybody’s out working. The fire department has a list on the board, people come in and have roofs that need tarped and windows that need boarded up and covered,” he said.

Smith said his parents are in good health, but they are overwhelmed and afraid about the future and the future of their community, just west of Port St. Joe, a city in Gulf County, Fla. His parents are trying to help their neighbors rebuild and get the community moving forward.

“This may be one small truckful, and one person to help, but hopefully there’s more coming, more people willing to come and step up,” Smith said.

Smith said he’ll stay with his parents to help them and others as long as he can before he has to travel the approximately 900 miles back to Xenia to his family and job.

He said he’s motivated, in particular, by his father, who survived the deadly 1974 Xenia tornado. Smith said his father has related to him how grateful he was for the many people who showed up to help with whatever they could.

“I have the ability to do it, so I thought I should pay it forward,” Smith said.

Smith plans to head back to Xenia this morning and soon will be collecting items at the Xenia fire station on Main Street.