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A woman from Florida had an emotional reunion with her mother after locating her in the wake of Hurricane Ian.
Last week, Beth Booker of Naples, Florida, took to Twitter about her worries about not being able to contact her mom after seeing pictures of her mom's home submerged in water at Fort Myers Beach, Florida.
"I have never felt more helpless in my life. I called my mom, and it went to voicemail. I'm praying that she put her phone on airplane mode to save battery. So scared. Can't stop shaking," she wrote. "Please, angels. Get her through this."
Booker, a mom of two, told "Good Morning America" that days before, she helped her mom Carole McDanel, prepare herself and her home for the hurricane.
Booker stated that her mom wanted to stay in her house, where she has lived for more than 20 years.
"She stayed because it was heading north for Tampa, and we had no idea that it would be as bad as it turned out," Booker said over email. "That house had survived multiple major hurricanes in history, Charley and Irma included, and she felt safe there."
There were many memories in the McDanel's home for Booker and priceless family heirlooms. The house had photos of Booker's dad, whom she said had passed away when she was five.
When her dad passed away, Booker stated that she was adopted by her paternal grandmother, Carole McDanel, whom she now calls mom.
Booker said she received updates from her mom once the storm struck, who then shared photos and videos of Ian's storm filling up the home.
Unfortunately, Booker's last phone call with her mom was around 3:00 p.m. local time. She even advised her mom to climb on the roof as a last resort if the water continued to rise.
After not being to reach her mom after their last call, Booker turned to Twitter, using the hashtag #GetCaroleHome. She asked her followers to help her find her mom.
"I don't know what else to do other than continue to push for the rescues and wait," Booker wrote in one tweet, adding that she wanted to spread her message "as far and wide as possible."
"You see this kind of stuff happen on the news. You see this on social media. You see it happen in other cities, and you know it can happen here when you live in Florida. We all know that" she said in a video on Twitter. "But when it's actually happening to you, it is honestly unbelievable."
On Wednesday, The Fort Myers area was left devastated after Hurricane Ian. Then a Category 4 storm slammed into Florida's west coast, leaving a lot of damage.
As rescue crews began their search for survivors in Fort Myers on Thursday, Booker's husband and a friend started their search for McDanel by boat.
A few hours later, at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Booker tweeted the great news that her mom had been found.
"She's OK," Booker said in a video posted on Twitter. "They got her, they found her, and they are bringing her to me."
Booker stated her husband and friend found McDanel inside her home, on the couch, where she was able to remain safe during the storm.
"She heard them yelling 'CAROLE!' and she was so happy," said Booker. "She said she would go out and wave her arms when planes and helicopters flew by, and that when she saw my two best guys, she was relieved to know that we would be together."
It was a happy moment for Booker as she reunited with McDanel. She told her mom that so much in Fort Myers had been destroyed and that her Twitter followers and others worldwide had joined the search for her.
McDanel, who declined to be interviewed, gave "GMA" a statement that she feels grateful for the "overwhelming support" she and her family have gotten.
"I have so much gratitude for the overwhelming support I've received from people around the world, complete strangers, who were wishing for my well-being during Hurricane Ian," she said. "That positive energy and those prayers were felt by me through one of the most isolating and uncertain moments in my life."
McDanel said that while her home is damaged and she's lost all the family memorabilia it contained, "I know that I am one of the lucky ones."
"I'm still here," she said. "My heart is breaking for Fort Myers Beach. A place I've called home for 35 years, a place home to happy times with the love of my life, my husband, who passed away in 2016. I've owned businesses on Fort Myers Beach, in addition to being close to many of those who have now lost their businesses."
"Our little 7-mile island thrives on our tourism, and with most of that taken away by Ian, we have such a long road ahead of us," McDanel continued. "I'm calling for the world to continue the same energy and love that was put toward my rescue into recovery and relief efforts for our community."
Since reuniting with her mom, Booker has turned her Twitter into a resource center for people whose loved ones may still be missing due to Hurricane Ian.
Booker lists resources for people who'd liked to give back to the community and even launched her own relief effort. Her relief effort is named Spread Sunshine & Give Grace. It is dedicated to raising money to help provide food, shelter, and other necessities for people impacted by Hurricane Ian.
"We are using this as an opportunity to call for help for our community and our neighbors," Booker tweeted. "Fort Myers Beach is not only my home, it's an island that survives on tourism. We have a lot of work to do."
Source: GMA