Dayna Czermak, a resident of Lake Arrowhead, California, known as the “unluckiest woman”, is currently evacuating from devastating wildfires. Czermak expressed her nervousness and concern for her friends and neighbors who are losing their homes to the wildfires. Nearly 2,000 firefighters are battling the blaze that has burned more than 26,400 acres in San Bernardino County. Czermak has evacuated to her aunt’s home in Las Vegas with her car full of sentimental pictures, while her husband remains in Lake Arrowhead awaiting the final evacuation alert.
As she left Lake Arrowhead, Czermak observed community members evacuating and taking precautions, such as attaching trailers to their cars. She noted that most stores and services in town were closed except for one grocery store, with law enforcement and fire trucks visible everywhere. Czermak has faced multiple natural disasters in her life, earning her the title of the “unluckiest woman”. Her experiences include Hurricane Katrina in 2007 while living in New Orleans, where her house was severely flooded, leaving everything destroyed or smelling of mold.
Hurricane Katrina was responsible for nearly 2,000 fatalities and billions of dollars in damage, leaving millions homeless. Czermak and her family had to evacuate to Houston, Texas, during the storm, driving through flooded areas with people trying to climb onto their car for a way out. After staying in Texas, they had to evacuate again due to Hurricane Rita. Czermak also lived through a blizzard two years ago, where she and her family were snowed in for 11 days without electricity. Despite her string of natural disasters, Czermak emphasizes the importance of being organized and prepared for emergencies.
Czermak advises others to have a plan in place and be organized to ensure they are ready to evacuate quickly in the event of a natural disaster. Despite her son’s suggestion to move to a location with no natural disasters, such as Pittsburgh, Czermak jokes that she might bring a disaster with her. She stresses the importance of being prepared and having everything in place to make evacuation smoother. Czermak’s experiences with multiple natural disasters highlight the need for individuals to be proactive in preparing for emergencies and staying safe during such events.
