Since recently making landfall in the US, Hurricane Milton has claimed the life of a beloved mother, whose grieving daughter penned a tearjerking tribute online.
New York native and Florida resident Deborah “Debbie” Kennedy, who lived in Fort Pierce, was identified as a victim of Hurricane Milton’s destructive forces after her daughter, Brandi Smith, received a devastating call.
A Florida official informed Brandi that her mother did not survive the storm. Debbie, who had moved to Florida in March (2024), was 66 years old at the time of her passing.
Yesterday, October 10, Brandi took to Facebook to share a lengthy post detailing how much her mother meant to her. Alongside an array of beautiful photos of Debbie and her family, Brandi expressed, “My mom will be missed incredibly forever [sic] this will leave a deep deep hole in the hearts of us kids and her grandchildren.”
She noted how her mother was always there for her family members whenever they needed her, highlighting Debbie as an “amazing mother and grandmother.” “And I will be lost without her for the rest of my life,” divulged the heartbroken daughter.
Adding an extra layer of sorrow, she then revealed, “Mom I wish I told you more often how much I loved you and how much I appreciate […] everything about you. I wish I was there for you [sic] I wish I had never left you down there [sic] I wish you would come home with me.”
Brandi even went so far as to say that she would take her mother’s place if she could before adding, “I will always miss you and love you.”
At the end of her message, she expressed her gratitude to Debbie for being her mom. She also promised to make Debbie proud and to be as great of a mother to her daughter, Madylyn Smith, as Debbie was to her.
In her tribute, Brandi spoke about how, at least, she takes some sort of solace in the fact that Debbie is now with her husband of 42 years, Jeff Kennedy (Brandi’s dad), who passed away a few years ago.
According to a CNN report that covered the sad story, before she died and after Jeff’s demise, Debbie had gotten a double burial plot in New York so she could be laid to rest next to him when she passed.
This is something that Brandi also mentioned in her Facebook post, explaining how their family is doing everything they can to get Debbie’s body back to New York.
Speaking to CNN about the matter, Brandi said, “I want everybody to know what an amazing person she was, and she deserves to come and be with her husband.”
Debbie’s niece-in-law, Peyton Kennedy, organized a GoFundMe page in the hopes of raising funds to transport her body to New York.
Additionally, the family is facing the financial burdens of funeral costs and medical expenses. “Any contribution […] will go directly toward easing the financial strain on our family, allowing us to focus on healing and honoring Debbie Kennedy’s memory,” stated Peyton.
Like the Kennedy family, other people have been severely affected by Hurricane Milton. CNN reporters have been covering how some of the hardest-hit communities have been trying to assess the “carnage” and conduct relief and rescue operations.
Pointing to an 18-wheeler truck that was slammed on its side by the high winds, CNN Correspondent Brian Todd reported, “These trucks weigh about 18 tons when they’re empty, about 40 tons when they’re full. Just imagine the kind of power and the force it took to get this truck in this state.”
Hurricane Milton also claimed the lives of six people in St. Lucie County. Speaking on the destruction this county faced, Sheriff Keith Pearson told CNN that the storm “lifted up modular homes and tossed it like it was garbage, like it was nothing.”
In Siesta Key, where the hurricane made landfall, debris, such as suitcases, mattresses, and other personal belongings, surrounds houses.
CNN Correspondent Randi Kaye highlighted how Floridians have been feeling concerning being hit by one storm after the other.
He noted, “Talking to these people, they are frustrated, they are angry, they are in tears […] They don’t know when they’re going to get hit, if they’re going to be spared … they feel like they need a fortress in order to survive here.”
