Woman searching for owners of photos found in Florida flood
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – A Tampa Bay-area family found dozens of pictures in a bag that floated into their home during Hurricane Milton.
"We had gone to a hotel before the hurricane. We came back home, there were various items floating in our water which did not belong to us," Sandi Hensley told Nexstar's WFLA.
Initially, Hensley said she thought the bag was just garbage until they looked inside.
"There's an entire bag full of a lifetime," Hensley said, pointing out the photographs. "Here's a small one in a frame of two gentlemen. Here's somebody's mother or grandmother."
Some of the pictures were still wet. Not all of it is salvageable, but the Hensleys are preserving them the best they can.
"I've been just wiping them off with a damp cloth and setting them out, preferably in the sunshine, to try and dry them out," Hensley said.
She's been asking their neighbors about the pictures. They even put the big framed pictures out in front of their home, hoping someone would claim them. But they haven't had any luck.
"I just know if they belonged to me I would want them back," Hensley said. "Even if they're pretty much ruined, they're still your memories. They tell a story."
Hensley's family said it speaks to just how massive this storm was. She feels maybe she was meant to find these photos, and she plans to care for them until she can find the owners.
"So much has been lost, and at the same time it's brought so many people together," Hensley said. "It's one of the few things you're never going to get back. You can't replace them."
If these pictures belong to you or someone you know, submit a news tip or email to mparker@wfla.com to get in touch with the Hensleys.