In August 2004, when hurricanes hit Central Florida hard, I came from Texas to help with storm recovery. I arrived around Aug. 8 or 9, expecting to work hard, do my part, and eventually head back home. At the time, I had no idea that Winter Haven would become the place where I would build a life, raise a family, and create No Outage Electrical Testing.
Those first days were far from easy. We had been promised hotel rooms through FEMA, but that did not happen. Instead, we worked from sunup to sundown and lived out of our trucks. At night, we would clean up as best we could at the church with the big cross on Havendale Boulevard, using a garden hose to bathe. Money ran low fast, and there were times when choosing between gas and food was a real decision. Even in those hard moments, the group I was with stuck together. We helped each other however we could, and that brotherhood got us through.
One blessing came from an unexpected place. I found a buffet-style restaurant, Stevie B’s, that was throwing away food at the end of the day. I asked if I could take it, and they said yes. In the beginning, it was all dumped into a trash bag, but I took it with grateful eyes. I brought that food back to the guys, and we would eat on the tailgate like we had a feast in front of us. When you are hungry and worn out, even the simplest meal feels like a gift.
As people slowly started getting back into their homes, hotel rooms began opening up. That led us to a room at the Banyan Beach Motel. To some, it may have seemed small, but to us it felt like life was finally starting to turn around. We had shelter, a little comfort, and a little hope.
Somewhere around September, my personal life started changing too. I had split with a girlfriend back in Texas and was just focused on work. Then one Friday in downtown Winter Haven, I saw Kara Lynn Thalhofer, a tall, beautiful woman who immediately caught my eye. I had come to Central Florida because of the hurricanes, but little did I know I was about to meet one of my own. Kara became “Hurricane Kara,” and she swept me away.
I tried to talk to her, but honestly, I was starstruck and probably not at my best. I asked for her number, and she said no, but she took mine. Later that night, she spotted me outside Old Man Frank’s around closing time and called me while I was standing by my truck. She asked what I was doing, and when I answered, she let me know she could see me. I looked around and finally spotted her. Even after running into each other twice that night, she still did not want to have breakfast with me.
Saturday came, and I tried calling her like a madman, but she would not answer or call back. By then, I figured I had blown my chances. But on Sunday, I saw her again while she was working, and once again it felt like fireworks. Later that night, we finally spent time together. I tried to play it cool, but I was nervous because of how beautiful she was. I was shy, but I also wanted to be the gentleman I knew I was. From that point until December, we spent time together almost every day.
When my work in Florida came to an end, I had a decision to make. I could go back home to Texas and return to the life I knew, or I could stay in Winter Haven and take a chance on a future I never expected. It was a hard decision because my family was back in Texas, but so was leaving behind the woman I had fallen for. I stayed, not knowing exactly what the future would hold, but it turned out to be one of the greatest blessings of my life.
Today, that woman is my wife, Kara Zamora. We have been together for more than 20 years, and I still look at her the same way I did the first day I met her. I still fall in love with her every day. Together we built a family and raised two sons, Zee Zamora and Dax Zamora, who are now bigger than both of us.
Kara is also a huge reason No Outage Electrical Testing and GroupWHB runs and continues to succeed. Even though she left a career of her own, she became the backbone of our business. She may think she does not know much about what we do, but I know better. She is the one who helps keep everything moving. If I am the body that takes the hits and does the physical work, she is the motor that gives us the drive and confidence to keep going.
Our boys have also played a big part in shaping us. Like any parents, we have had our share of bumps along the way. Kids do not come with a manual, so we did the best we could with love, hard work, and faith. In the Zamora household, we have made God a central part of our lives, and that has helped us build a stronger family and a straighter path forward.
No Outage Electrical Testing was built on more than technical skill and hard work. It was built on sacrifice, faith, family, and perseverance. It came from the kind of life lessons you only learn when you are sleeping in trucks, bathing with a hose, stretching every dollar, and refusing to quit. It was built by staying when it would have been easier to leave.
The moral of my story is simple: No Outage Electrical Testing, and GroupWHB, would not be where they are today without a strong woman beside me. God knew I was not built for a weak one. My wife and I are both strong leaders, and together we have built something meaningful through the ups and downs of life. One day, I believe our boys will shine too.
What started as a storm recovery job in Central Florida became a life, a family, and a purpose in Winter Haven. I came here to help rebuild after a hurricane, but in the end, I found a home.
And in more ways than one, Hurricane Kara changed everything.
