Horrible Hurricane Season Brings Out The Best in Innkeepers and Guests Alike

Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and others have tested the grit and goodness of guests and innkeepers alike.  We wanted to share with you the inspirational story Susanne Voss sent us.

Barber-Tucker House, Moultrie, GA 

If you have any inspiring, poignant, or humorous hurricane, fire, or other disaster stories to share, please send them in for inclusion in a future article.

“The Barber-Tucker House is a six guest-room B&B in South Georgia. We had anticipated a steady but not bust-out Labor Day, since September is typically a slow month for us.  My husband and son left on a lengthy road trip to visit my husband’s very ill father in Wyoming.  Then Hurricane Frances hit, and regions of Florida were evacuated. Our phone started ringing, and the inn was soon filled for the week. My husband couldn't get home quickly because of oversold or cancelled flights and no available rental cars. 

“So I was on my own with a full house and not a single empty bed, pull-out sofa or aero-bed. I was going from 4 a.m. to midnight without a chance to eat or rest. Although I was pretty tired, I didn’t want my guests to skip an amenity or miss a bit of pampering. They had enough to worry about.

“These are the nicest people, my little refugees ... and they're all so sad. Today, three couples are watching the Weather Channel as the storm pounds near their homes (Vero Beach, St. Lucie, Melbourne). I try to lift their spirits with wine and cheese evenings, piano sing-alongs, billiards competitions, and they respond gratefully.

“Tomorrow, 25 mile-per-hour winds are expected with gusts up to 50 mph, rainfall between 5 and 10 inches. The local authorities advise us to expect power outages and water contamination over the next 48 hours. Grocery store supplies are dwindling, and we’ll be breakfasting on the basics for a while. Gas is in short supply 50 miles to the south, so my guests are staying longer. We have lots of bottled water, flashlights, and board games.

“This morning, our professional musician took the vacuum out of my hand in the parlor and told me to 'go on and do something more important, I can handle this.’ The big company executive was anchoring our new gazebo to the ground, making sure it wouldn’t blow over. Without being asked, each guest has helped to storm-proof our gardens, veranda, and patio. Tomorrow, they insist that I take the day off and that they will prepare dinner for me. “Absolutely no housekeeping,” I have been told repeatedly.

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