Dayna Czermak, a resident of Lake Arrowhead, California, who she calls “the unluckiest woman,” said she has seen similar natural disasters and is currently evacuating wildfires.
“I’m nervous right now, and I know a lot of people in Running Springs, the next little town over who are losing their homes right now as we speak, and it’s really killing me. It’s my friends and even people who are ‘Friends, even people who don’t understand,” Czermak told Fox News Digital in an on-camera interview.
In San Bernardino County, where Lake Arrowhead is located, nearly 2,000 firefighters and personnel are battling the blaze, which has burned more than 26,400 acres, Fox Weather reported.
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The mother of four said she drove to her aunt’s house in Las Vegas after the third emergency alert was sent to evacuate.
“My car is full of pictures because I’m sentimental. What’s important to me are pictures. My car (is full of) pictures (from) the whole house. Photo albums, everything.”
Her husband, Lance, is still in Lake Arrowhead and waiting for the last sign to evacuate. So far, her home and family are safe.
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Czermak said that when he left, it appeared that members of the community were evacuating, while others were seen preparing with trailers attached to cars.
“It seems that they heeded the warning, and everything is closed in the city. There is no bank. No stores were open except for one grocery store … sheriffs, highway patrol, fire trucks were everywhere.”
Czermak was once dubbed by a journalist as “the unluckiest woman” in reference to how many times she has faced natural disasters – she has witnessed or escaped at least five in her lifetime.
“It’s (been) 16, 17 years since the last fire, so you can’t say ‘the unluckiest,’ but we’ll see because the next time I move, we’ll talk.”
In 2007 when Hurricane Katrina struck Czermak and his family were living in New Orleans.
“There was about 10 feet of flooding (in my house). So everything downstairs was completely destroyed and everything upstairs smelled like mold and mildew.”
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Hurricane Katrina was responsible for 1,833 fatalities and about $108 billion in damage with millions left homeless along the Gulf Coast and in New Orleans, according to the National Weather Service.
Czermak said he and his family were staying at a hotel when the National Guard ordered a mandatory evacuation of the area.
He said he jumped into his car, which was submerged in water, and drove out of the hotel’s parking garage.
“There are people crawling in our car. There are people crawling in our car, wanting our car, (with the hope of getting out)” he said.
Czermak and his family drove 20 hours to Houston, Texas, to stay with friends for the next three months, he said.
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After spending time in Texas, Hurricane Rita struck, causing Czermak to evacuate his family once again.
Two years ago, Czermak and his family experienced another extreme weather event, this time a blizzard.
“We were snowed in 11 days in our house without electricity,” he said, calling it “Snowmageddon.”
Czermak said he advises others to “get organized” so they can be better prepared in the event of a natural disaster.
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“I’m usually scattered,” he said. “Having everything in place that you know, can be ready to go. That’s what we do. I’m more organized (now).”
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Czermak said his son advised him to move closer to him and his family in Pittsburgh, where there are no natural disasters.
He joked “I said, I’m sure I’ll bring one with me, like a flood.”