Letter: My shelter experience was fine

I am livid regarding your recent front-page article about the Hurricane Matthew evacuation.

I, too, evacuated to the Ridgeland-Hardeeville High School shelter for four days and three nights. Contrary to the person there quoted extensively in your story, I had a cot, blanket and pillow and there was absolutely no water on the floor where many slept. In addition, there was very little odor of human waste. My cell phone functioned the entire time as a generator was brought in. We had secondary lighting, toilets and showers in continuous use.

The man’s unfortunate account further fans the flames of anxiety and apprehension that prevent our Lowcountry neighbors from evacuating in the first place.

I can assure you the American Red Cross, National Guard and FEMA did an extraordinary job providing three meals a day, 24-hour snacks and bottled water. Considering there were more than 800 evacuees, they all did more than their best keeping conditions as hygienic as possible and our safety was their top priority.

I suggest that the next time we have a deadly hurricane your source forgo sleeping in his car, come into the shelter and volunteer, as I and many others did — helping out the Red Cross at every turn at any time night or day.

Also, the shelter at Bluffton High School, where I spent my fourth night, prevented countless injuries and loss of lives.

Oh, how I wish your reporters had interviewed me.

This story was originally published November 8, 2016 at 12:06 PM with the headline "Letter: My shelter experience was fine."