Riviera Beach, Florida (CNN) Ceva Seymour says she's one of the lucky ones.

Ceva Seymour, 57, describes how her roof began to lift in the winds.

First, her husband managed to use ropes, hammers and nails to secure their roof in Freeport as Hurricane Dorian kept trying to lift it away and send it flying.

Then, she and 16 family members were able to leave the storm-ravaged Bahamas and make their way to the safety of Florida on Saturday aboard the Grand Celebration humanitarian cruise ship.

"The storm was very intense," Seymour, 57, told CNN at the Port of Palm Beach, recalling sleepless nights and lots of prayers. "It was really, really dramatic. It hurts my heart" to think of so many back home unable to flee, many with children.

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