What started as a Fall Break trip to the Bahamas turned into a nightmare as the Tabasa family found themselves right smack in the middle of Hurricane Matthew.

Expecting a nice family vacation in the Bahamas over fall break, Mireya Tabasa (12) did not expect the turn of events that would occur. Instead she spent the third day checking in at the Atlantis Paradise Island hotel, where she was located to the shelter with her sister.

Following protocols, everyone had to pick up things they wanted to take with them for exactly two days straight. The hotel service would supply food for everyone, a blanket and a pillow. Many people came and stayed at the hotel because a lot of them didn’t have a safe place to stay. The hotel separated people into different groups based on what hotel everyone was staying in.

“When the people started to call everyone into the shelters five hours before the hurricane hit me and my sister were terrified.  We had no idea what was going on the first day because we got separated from our parents. We didn’t know where they were when they called everyone to get inside immediately. It wasn’t until the second day when we finally got reunited with them after their shelter was about to collapse,” Mireya Tabasa (12) said.

After a window broke open from the storm in front of a mother and her daughter everyone was told to stay far away from all windows so no injuries would occur. All the guest were asked to hang around the hallways or the ballrooms. The staff members at the hotel made sure everyone wasn’t near their rooms so they could all be safe. Opening up about her experience Tabasa stated

“My sister and I were both frighten just by the sound it made, we didn’t expect to hear it from inside he shelter. No one got much sleep with the shelters being so cold and only having one blanket. Most people just stayed awake for the past two days.”

To keep everyone occupied the hotel had some fun things that the children could do to waste some time. They had movies running throughout the shelter and supplied some craft stuff which they could find. Still talking about her experience Tabasa said

“One time me and my sister were walking around the shelters to pass time we manage to find an opening and looked out the windows and all we could see was just a slight bit of what was happening. What we saw was crazy, we saw trees touching the ground and waves almost coming close to our hotel.”

Finally being able to come outside after the two day have passes, all anyone could see was electrical wires hanging, palm trees on the ground and rooftops collapsing. The Tabasa family finally got to return to Brentwood on the ninth with everyone safe. After the ordeal, they believe they have created an even stronger family bond.