GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) – Nearly a week into the U.S., Israel and Iran conflict, residents in North Central Florida with family in the region say they can only hope and pray for their loved ones’ safety.
Yarah Cherniak and her husband moved to Gainesville from Israel six months ago. Cherniak, a psychologist, says her family is used to hearing air raid sirens and considers them among the fortunate, as they have a bunker they can retreat to.
She shared photos of herself and her young children bracing inside a bunker from a previous bombing, describing it as a slice of reality for those living in Israel.
Even after relocating to Florida, the sounds of emergency vehicles still trigger a fear response in her children.
“Even six months after we’re here every time a fire truck drives by the kids still say, I have four children, doesn’t that sound like a missile?” Cherniak said.
Cherniak says while her family has adapted to the threat of missiles and sirens, that adaptation is not a healthy one.
“It has a very heavy impact, you can’t always know, like it takes time to show,” she said.
She said the lack of control over the situation weighs heavily on those affected.
“You can only control going to the safe room but the decisions are being taken in places that you’re not a part of and your voice isn’t heard, it’s difficult,” Cherniak said.
She added that evacuating to a shelter is a dangerous endeavor for some, including her 70-year-old mother, who must be ready to reach a bunker at a moment’s notice.
“We’re hoping for a different situation both for us and for the Iranian people,” Cherniak said.
People in Israel are not the only ones affected. University of Florida professor Dr. Farimah Farahmandi has family in Iran and said there has been an internet blackout in the country, with all calls blocked for days.
She said she was recently able to speak with her sister, who told her the bombings were constant on Saturday. Her sister also said the strikes were met with audible cheers from those in opposition to the regime.
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