For Monica O'Flaherty and her family, last year's EF5 tornado that devastated Joplin, Mo., brought more than devastation, it also brought new beginnings.
The family always dreamed of moving to the Gulf Coast beaches, where they had vacationed for a dozen years, after their son graduated from high school. However, that timeframe was accelerated after the devastating tornado of May 22, 2011, which killed more than 150 people.
The O'Flaherty family had lived through tornado warnings before as the area is known as Tornado Alley. But the twisters had always come down someplace else nearby ? until that ?life-changing moment.?
The family of four was at home when they heard the sirens go off for the second time, and giant hail stones began to fall from the sky. Ten-year-old Audrey climbed into the bathtub, although dad Marty felt sure they would be bypassed again or would at least hear an ominous roar like a train as warning.
"The people on the edge of town where it set down heard the roar, but we didn't," said Monica. "For us, our ears began to pop, and we could hear the trees falling on the house, the wind in the toilet, and glass breaking. I thought, 'OK, we can replace shingles and glass,' but I knew we no longer had a house when I could smell the outdoors from the bathroom. That's when I knew.
?I just remember hanging onto my kids for dear life. It was not about things anymore."
When they felt safe to come out of the bathroom, even though the O'Flahertys walked out without a scratch, they discovered that the back of their house had been torn away; what was left was being soaked by rain and mud, and their cars were totaled.
They moved into a furnished rental home to regroup and evaluate their options. One option was to move up their plans to relocate to the beach. After coming down to South Walton and looking around at houses and schools, the decision was made to make the move.
The O'Flahertys have called Santa Rosa Beach "home" since Dec. 28, 2011.
"We came with no moving truck and the first night in our new home, we slept on inflatable mattresses and borrowed a card table from a neighbor," Monica said with a laugh.
Monica sold her photography business in Missouri and is now operating Image 30A Photography and maintains an interactive blog ? Beach Bride on 30A ? through which she connects various wedding vendors.
"My husband had lived in Joplin all his life, and I had lived there for 28 years," said Monica. "It was hard to leave family and friends, and we felt like a traitor. But we have found that living off 30A, you get lots of visitors. Our guest bedroom is booked through July and we go back to visit. Plus, there are no sirens going off here."
Monica said her biggest concern was for her kids to make an easy adjustment, which she is pleased to report, has happened.
"Both made the honor roll and now have a circle of friends, and my son has jobs for the summer. It has been a real blessing," she said.
As for herself and her husband, they have also considered it a blessing to encounter other friendly transplants at the beach who escaped disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and floods to relocate in paradise.
"It's comforting," she said.
In establishing their photography business, the O'Flahertys plan to focus on weddings and have primarily used networking to get their name out. So far, they have been pleased to find that during spring break, families they had photographed in Missouri looked them up when they vacationed here to ask the O'Flahertys to take a family picture on the beach.
"We have encountered some pleasant surprises like that, and others such as quads I had photographed who are coming down to vacation at the beach and want their pictures taken here. You never know where your business will come from," said Monica. "You think you're in it alone. This was a bigger mess than we knew what to do with. So many people came to our aid who we had had an impact on ? it was like attending your funeral early."
For more information about Image 30A visit www.image30a.com.?
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