A Kansas towing company traveled to Florida last week to assist with car removal following Hurricane Helene. Now, Kansans will ride out the next storm, experiencing it personally, with intentions to assist with cleanup once the weather event is over.
Sunflower Tow Service is a Kansas City-based small business that launched a presence in Wichita in 2021. The proprietors assert that they have been providing assistance during major disasters for more than a decade, such as Hurricane Ian and the Joplin tornado, but the upcoming experience is significantly different.
While driving through western Florida, one can observe significant damage.
Sarah Berntsen, a Sunflower Towing Service employee, said, “There’s already a lot of water damage, and people are emptying out their homes to avoid moldy furnishings.
Hurricane Helene caused extensive damage, prompting Sunflower Tow Service to send seven trucks to Florida last week to assist with this devastating disaster.
“This is the first time that I am aware that we have been on a storm cleanup, and another storm has come through,” said Luke Olenick, owner of Sunflower Tow Service.
One employee captured a close-up video of a tornado near Clewiston, Florida, demonstrating how close they are to the next round of extreme weather.
“I’ll be honest, it has been an emotional situation for me, especially—you know, I’m responsible for myself plus six other people on the trip and they all have families at home,” according to Olenick.
They had to evacuate from Tampa to Orlando in advance of Hurricane Milton. Sunflower Tow has relocated 600 to 700 vehicles in the last week, estimating that Helene’s storm damage across western Florida has totaled at least 35,000 cars. This could make evacuations very difficult for many people.
“Getting derelict vehicles out of people’s way, and that way the insurance company can process the claim so people can get back into wheels as fast as possible, is really a huge help,” said Olenick, laughing.
The Kansas crew is currently hunkering down to prepare for Hurricane Milton. They claim to have food and water, but it wasn’t simple to procure.
“We went to Walmart yesterday to get some stuff, and the shelves were clear of everything,” Olenick told me.
They ask Kansans to pray for the people of Florida as they deal with these extraordinarily challenging back-to-back weather occurrences.
“I’m fully committed to staying as long as necessary to work and assist the people who work and live here. We adore everyone at home, and we’re always thinking about them and keeping them up to date on where we are and how we’re doing,” Berntsen explained.
The owner of Sunflower Tow said they had intended to return home next week, but it is no longer feasible. They’ll stay in Florida to deal with the next crop of damaged vehicles when the time comes.
