As thousands of Floridians flock to Alabama to avoid Hurricane Irma, one Alabama couple is ensuring that evacuees are well-fed on their journey to higher ground.
WTHR reports that several residents of Fairhope, Alabama, pitched a tent at the Alabama Welcome Center on Interstate 10 and cooked hot dogs for those on the road.
“It ain’t in their budget for what they’re having to do right now. These restaurants are gonna be packed. Just seemed like the thing to do,” Robert Clark, who started the idea with his wife, told WPMI.
Clark and his wife, Lori, say they have fed hundreds of weary travelers, including one family who spent 15 hours in the car traveling from their home in Port Charlotte, Florida, on the Gulf Coast.
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Volunteers are also handing out water bottles and snacks as well as the hot dogs at no cost to those hitting the road.
“It makes you feel good but we’re all supposed to help each other. Unfortunately, sometimes it’s only during a storm. But we just want people to know we’re thinking about them and care about them,” Lori Clark said.
The Clarks say they will continue to serve those in need so long as they can afford to keep buying and cooking the hot dogs.
Thousands of Floridians are heading to Alabama in anticipation of Irma’s path as many parts of the state issued mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders.
