When Hurricane Isaias bore down on Escambia County, Brewton residents Joseph Lawrence and his wife Savanna Roberts chose to stay in their trailer on Foshee Road, hoping to ride out the storm. Their decision quickly turned into a night of terror.
Inside the trailer as the storm hit
Lawrence recalled that the family was in the bathroom about an hour before the worst of the winds arrived. “We were in the bathroom about an hour before things got really bad, just because we wanted to be prepared,” he told FOX10 News. Suddenly the trailer began shaking, insulation fell from the roof, and Lawrence rushed his wife and their four young children into the bathtub, covering them with a mattress for protection.
Roberts described the experience as “one of the most terrifying” moments of her life. She tried to keep calm for her children, who were screaming and praying to God. “Please don’t kill me. Keep my kids safe,” she said, echoing the family’s desperate pleas for divine protection.
Community response and damage
Escambia County Sheriff Heath Jackson confirmed that Isaias damaged several trailer homes in the area, including one that trapped a man for hours. The storm displaced roughly 20 apartment residents in East Brewton and knocked down trees across the Coastal Alabama Community College campus.
Jackson explained that restoring power and delivering water and other essential supplies is especially challenging in the rural parts of the county. “It’s always easier to, you know, set up in the city… out in the county, sometimes you have people that are five, six, seven miles away from the next person,” he said.
Losses and faith‑filled hope
The Lawrence‑Roberts family salvaged only a few items. They lost all of their clothing, irreplaceable family photos, and most of their possessions, leaving the trailer unlivable and the family homeless. The couple, who did not have renters’ insurance, set up a GoFundMe page and an Amazon wish list to help cover immediate needs.
Amid the wreckage, they found a kitchen sign that had been blown into a neighboring trailer, bearing the words, “Accept what is, let go of what was, and have faith in what will be.” The message resonated deeply with the couple as they faced the uncertain road ahead.
Different views on evacuation
Roberts had urged the family to evacuate to her mother’s house before the storm hit. Lawrence admitted he initially thought the warnings were overblown. “I thought everybody was overreacting, but she thought we – I should listen to my wife, you know?” he said, acknowledging that his decision to stay put contributed to the night’s ordeal.
As the community begins the long process of cleanup and rebuilding, local churches and volunteer groups have stepped forward to provide meals, clothing, and emotional support. The family’s story underscores both the physical devastation of Isaias and the resilient faith that many Brewton residents lean on during crises.
Original reporting: FOX10 WALA Mobile (news) — read the source article.
