Hi KCJimmy - Thanks for asking about us! Here's what we posted on facebook:

Vicky and I really appreciate the calls, text and e-mails of concern regarding our place on Green Turtle Cay. I knew when I bought a home in the Bahamas that a hurricane was a very real possibility. I checked the internet and went back 150 years and found that there was a hurricane that struck GTC on average every 10 years. Having been there many summers as a child and also loving our new found home, I was willing to take the risk and enjoy it 90% of the time.

Thankfully, we are fully insured and the insurance companies in the Bahamas have a great reputation of responding quickly and effectively. We are in it for the long haul and will rebuild using cement walls (which stood up amazingly well for those that had them). Houses can be replaced but people can’t and we are thankful that none of our friends (some of them lifelong) perished in the strongest hurricane to ever hit the Atlantic. Amazing and something very positive to remember with all the overwhelming bad news.

It hurts bad to lose something so loved but I remind myself my loss is nothing compared to the trauma that has affected the locals on the islands. Marsh Harbour is a ghost town, as are most of the northern Abaco cays. For those that stayed there is no income, grocery stores, hardware stores, power, internet or cell phone coverage. All of the houses on Green Turtle Cay were affected by the storm and I have been told very few are inhabitable. It will take at least 6 weeks to get telephones and 6 months to get power back up. It will also take about six months for the leaves to fully come back out on the trees, bushes and flowers.

With all of the bad it is good to know that a very strong message of thankfulness came through from all of the locals regarding the help from Florida, Georgia and the USA! It made me so proud to hear them tell of boat after boat arriving with supplies necessary to…keep…alive!

Again, thanks for thinking of us, we are fine and anxious to rebuild!

JNB

[Edited on 10/31/2019 by JNB]

I am thanking the good Lord that you all are alright. After digging just a little (I couldn't remember for certain if your wife's name was Vicky) I was certain that this story was about you. Then I expected people to come on here and post that they had heard from you and everything was good. But that didn't happen either. Thank you for letting us know.

It is a beautiful place. I was there in the early 70s. Marsh Harbour, Turtle Cay & Hopetown. Not much there then I can tell you that. There was a lighthouse and a motel in Hopetown. Nothing else. Dinner was what ever was served that night. It was beautiful, but as a kid it lacked... choices... such as options for dinner. As an adult I long for that kind of seclusion.

So now you are TV stars! I haven't seen it though but I am going to try. Oddly I found it by searching Direct TV for the ABB.

REALLY GLAD to hear things are good. God Bless you.

Sorry to hear about your home Joe. I just watched this tv show.
Glad that you and Vickey are good Joe. I miss talking with you at Wanee and other ABB gigs About college football and music. I miss the magazine a bunch. Loved your articles.
Go. Tech. Roll Tide.
Billy Eddins.

Thanks Jimmy for this.

[Edited on 11/2/2019 by BillyEddins]

Hey Joe,

Glad to see you stayed safe during the Hurricane. The charity I belong to had a team on Abaco and elsewhere. I didn't know you were out there I could have asked them to stop by and give you some assistance. Here's a link to a brief promo bit we put out to let people know we were there. Don't know if we are going back as we are quite busy in Puerto Rico with ongoing programs we have there. My home was flooded by Sandy, so I have some experience with what you are dealing with. Hope everything works out for you.

https://heart911.org/2019/10/03/hurricane-dorian-bahamas-response/

Be safe.