As Hurricane Florence approaches the Carolina Coast, I am reminded of another hurricane that occurred when I was only 3 ½ years sober. On August 24, 1992, Hurricane Andrew arrived in South Florida as a Category 5. Coming ashore at Homestead, it would remain the most destructive storm in the history of Florida for the next 25 years until Hurricane Irma in 2017. The destruction included the fossil fuel (oil) storage tanks at the FPL Turkey Point facility. With sustained winds of 165 mph, the tanks were literally ripped apart, with oil going into the FPL harbor off of Biscayne Bay.
As I had recently been laid off, an old roommate from my overseas days (pre-sobriety) had contacted me on behalf of another overseas friend to apply for a position as the field logistics coordinator for the FPL cleanup project, for which I was hired immediately. Controlled chaos soon followed as time was of the essence, in order to keep the oil from contaminating Biscayne Bay.
Fortunately, I had time to attend an AA meeting at my home group and talk at length with my sponsor the night before leaving. It was unsure when we would be returning. Until this point, my recovery had been somewhat traditional, with service commitments, steady meeting attendance, and sponsorship. I questioned whether God may be testing me, and an old-timer replied, “God doesn’t test you, he trains you”. My baggage included a pocket copy of the Big Book along with meditation literature and the latest issue of the AA Grapevine.
As we traveled through the devastation of South Florida, I couldn’t help but feel the humbling sensation that I had felt at times during my Vietnam experience. So much destruction! Crews had to utilize chainsaws to clear the way to our work site. There was no phone service available to call the local Intergroup office.
The project ran 24/7 with three rotating crews. My position entailed working at least 18 hours per day with only 4 to 6 hours of sleep nightly. In spite of the overwhelming commitments, I made time each morning for my prayers and meditation. I will not take the space to state my numerous responsibilities. Believe me, the work was continuous, having to multi-task most of the time. As there was only one analog cell phone available, I was able to make a one-time, 15-minute phone call to my sponsor. I thanked God he was home. Alcohol was available through the convoy drivers, and although I was offered drinks at times, I replied stating I would get a “cold one” after the project concluded.
After 25 days of straight work and no meetings (One Day at a Time), we finally packed up and got on the road back. I did have my “cold one” at the first open rest stop by having a large frozen yogurt cone. After returning to our company area and standing down our vehicles and equipment, I headed for the closest AA meeting. Outside I ran into a couple who asked why they hadn’t seen me lately, and I explained my adventure. Upon entering the room, I was overwhelmed with the feeling of truly coming home again.
Dennis W., Sanford, Florida