Family Stays with Friends, Awaits Repairs to Florida Home

CLERMONT – Bishop McHugh Regional Catholic School has a new fourth-grade student for a few weeks while the family awaits repairs to their home in the Florida Keys.
Riella Sims and her daughter, Kallisto, who live in Big Coppitt Key, lost the roof of their home during Hurricane Irma. Water pipes were damaged by the Category 4 storm, causing the Keys to be under a boil water order once the water and power were restored.
Now, the Sims are awaiting word that it’s safe to return to their home and rejoin their husband and father.
“Because my husband is a police officer, he had to stay,” Sims said. “As we watched the storm forecast, it kept changing direction and then it was too late to be on the road with my daughter to evacuate.
“We were in a safe spot during the storm but lost the roof to our home. The shingles are gone, there’s only the paper still on it.”
The Sims are long-time friends with Kim and Tonio Galdi, of Avalon, who own a restaurant and house in Big Pine Key. Galdi was in Florida to prepare for the storm and ended up staying with the Sims when the hurricane hit.
After seeing the devastation, losing power and water, Kim booked them on a flight leaving from Ft. Lauderdale the following day.
“I’m not sure how long we are going to be here,” Sims noted, “so we’re trying to keep up our routine and I wanted Kallisto to go to school. Kim is one of the Bishop McHugh alumni families and they were able to get my daughter into school while we are here as part of a shadow program.”
Because they packed in the dark, Sims said her daughter arrived with a suitcase filled with 30 shirts and two pairs of pants.
“Everyone has been so nice to us,” Sims said. “Some friends brought over a jacket for my daughter since she didn’t have one. I was worried about her settling in at school and when she first came home, I asked her if she made any new friends. She said the whole class is her new friend.”
In the meantime, Sims said her husband is dealing with the cleanup and repairs. “Every day is a new day and things are progressing, but slowly,” she said. “They just opened the road to residents this week. The school is being repaired and hopes to re-open Sept. 25.
“My husband works a 24-hour shift, and then has a day off so he’s been helping people take photos of the destruction while they wait for their insurance company to come and assess the damage.”
As a Florida native, Sims has seen her share of storms and noted the last hurricane to hit the area was Wilma in 2005, which caused extensive flooding but not a lot of wind damage. “Many natives stay, even if there is a mandatory evacuation,” she said, “because then you are there when it’s over and can see what needs to be done quickly. For years, it was just me and my husband and we always stayed, but I needed to leave for my daughter.
“The kids seem to think we’re camping or playing a game during the storm, and don’t realize what is going on until after,” she added. “Our plan is to stay (in Avalon) until there is regular water service in the Keys. We saw our house and we will clean up and fix it and continue on.
“It upset my daughter for a couple of days, but she’s talked with her dad and is doing better. He said he would be able to get more done if he didn’t have to worry about us, so we’re very fortunate to have friends like Kim and Tonio to help us.”
To contact Karen Knight, email kknight@cmcherald.com.