John Morrow – Class of 1977

Living in Orlando for nearly 43 years, Tyrone Class of 1977 graduate John Morrow has been through several hurricanes that come with living in Florida.

While Morrow explained the heartbreak of hurricanes, he also explained how there was only slight damage done to his area. Not much of Morrow’s home and surroundings were destroyed, but others living in Florida were not as lucky.

Morrow is no stranger to these terrible storms, but he was still surprised by how fast Hurricane Ian came and hit his hometown.

“[I am] always amazed by the storm’s power. [I would have] never expected that water would rise up as high as it did this time. But, some middle of the night repositioning of sandbags kept the water out,” said Morrow.

The only damage that Morrow faced was tree branches that had fallen into his yard and surrounded his property.

“Friends in other places around Central Florida lost everything… I mean everything. It’s heartbreaking,” said Morrow.

While the damage is heartbreaking, Morrow, along with others, showed great generosity to those who experienced great damage in the hurricane. Several community members and nonprofit organizations have come together to form programs to provide those who were hit by the storm with food, water, clothes, and shelter.

“One thing that remains the same is, if you are hit, people are there for you. If you are spared, do what you can to help. The teamwork between friends and strangers can be a beautiful thing to see unfold,” said Morrow.

Morrow, along with his family, continues to support relief efforts to help those who were affected by the hurricane.