DAVENPORT, Iowa – Jayne Burich turns 11 this year, and Hurricane Florence wasn’t going to get in the way of her celebration.
“We are here because the eye of the storm hit Raleigh. We just wanted to evacuate. My mom was kind of worried, so we just wanted to come to a place where we knew we had friends,” says Jayne.
Jayne and her family used to live in the Quad Cities a few years ago. Her dad, Dan Burich, was the former sports director over at WQAD. So, they decided to take refuge from the hurricane with old friends, who are making sure this 11 year-old has a memorable birthday.
“I like my friends back home, they are really nice” says Jayne, “but it’s nice to have family and friends time – like the people you haven’t seen in five years.”
But the one person who didn’t make the trip - her dad. He stayed behind in North Carolina to watch their house.
“He said our house is going to be OK, but we have a house in Topsail and he said that’s probably going to get wrecked,” comments Jayne.
This year, Jayne has just one wish.
“I wish for my dad to be ok, and when we go home on Sunday he’s OK. We can spend more time with him,” says Jayne.
For now, they keep their heads up and stay positive.
“Learn to be flexible in life,” says Kelly Burich, Jayne’s mother, “I mean this is a pretty big storm and it doesn’t mean we can’t find higher ground somewhere else and find a way to celebrate.”
“I mean a birthday is a birthday, you are turning a different age,” says Jayne.
A birthday that can’t be stopped by Hurricane Florence.
