Parents held their children close in darkened hallways while the storm battered roofs and shook windows. Every gust sounded powerful enough to tear away another part of the neighborhood. With electricity failing and roads disappearing beneath water, families had little information beyond the urgent voice coming through a battery-powered radio. The message repeated through the night was simple. Stay inside and stay alive. It was not the kind of advice anyone wanted to hear while water rose around homes and emergency lights flashed in the distance, but leaving shelter without a safe route could place both residents and rescuers in…
