The following is something I wrote 13 years ago, upon surviving the hurricane season of 2004, and specifically Hurricane Jeanne. I lived in Satellite Beach, FL at the time, about a mile from the beach. The storm came ashore just to the south of where I lived.
As I sit relatively high and dry in Orlando, the city to which most people in South Florida evacuate, I am reminded of my first hand experiences riding out a strong Cat 3 storm. Also, I have a few new insights about how sheep-like people are in following a crowd. I'll add those on to the list I created way back then.
September 2004 - The most recent of my experiences has changed the way I see the world. These devastating storms that hammered the Sunshine State for the past few weeks made me consider what is truly important in my life.
It should come as no surprise that my family matters most. Unequivocally, I could not have made it through the past couple of months without my kids. Then again, they were the only reason I wanted to make it through the past couple of months, anyway - funny how that works out.
I would like the list some of the things I learned:
1. Somehow, my daughters know how to play all sorts of card games that I've never heard of. After the past couple of months, I now know how to play some of them as well. Despite how large a pain in the butt it may have been taking them to this and that Girl Scout thing over the years, they learned a lot of useful things from being involved with others in that organization. Not only did they learn invaluable socialization skills, but also they learned a few card games. Enduring the recent power outages in the wake of violent storms would have been much less bearable without those candlelight card games.
2. For the sake of one's nerves, if not safety, please, always evacuate when the authorities tell you to. Despite curiosity, lunacy or whatever, experiencing a Category Three hurricane at landfall is something best left to those silly enough to do it in front of a TV news camera. At least they are getting paid to demonstrate incredible stupidity. I can't imagine being caught in a Category Four or Category Five storm. And I hope that I never have to be in that situation. I my case, I had obligations at work and did not get home until it was too late to evacuate. I'll have to reconsider my priorities against my employer's priorities in the future. I did not feel that my well being or that of my family were fully considered in scheduling. They were more interested in making money. We sold a few batteries and battery powered radios. Honestly, though, it was hardly worth staying open. And driving home across the bridge on the causeway with wind gusts up to 40 MPH was harrowing. The State Police closed the bridge behind me. Seriously, they stopped me and told me I would not be able to leave the island. I needed to be home with my kids. Even if they are all teens and my son is technically adult, having just turned 18 in July, I think they needed me around to make some decisions - like backing my son's car up against the garage door to reinforce it.
3. Freedoms can be taken away in an instant, by fate and/or natural circumstance. Suspended liberty can also linger as an emergency situation for several days afterwards, in the interest of the public good. At my age, having anyone tell me when I HAVE to do anything is at the least irritating. I am not certain that I like the fact that the elected officials in my county can impose an arbitrary curfew, but I do like the fact that the police charged to enforce the times of suspended freedoms seem very interested in relinquishing the power as soon as the emergency has passed. Maybe that is how our country really is different from some other places in the world. The police officers are us and the authority is used only when it is necessary for them to protect the rest of us from ourselves and our own stupidity. They watch out for whatever there is in human nature that makes people act like idiots.
4. The power of nature trumps everything. No one is impervious. I think storms are a little, not-so-friendly reminder that everyone is equal. There is no immunity. You are not bullet-proof. A storm does not give preference or deference to wealth, creed or ethnicity. It doesn't care whether you eat white bread or whole wheat. It doesn't want to know whether your belly button is an "innie" or an "outtie". Your Atkin's diet doesn't matter. How great you were playing baseball in high school is immaterial. Nature doesn't mind removing a few shingles from your roof either, if that is what it takes to get your attention. The wrath of the elements will humble you into admitting that every person is a puny subject cowering in a corner, hunkering down and hoping for the best until the unleashed fury has finally and gratefully passed.
5. Appreciation for electricity, more than almost anything else in life except for my kids, was underscored and highlighted. Having hot water to take a shower because there is electricity is a marvelous thing. It's funny though, I realize now why they call electricity "power". Having it is much preferable to having "no power". However, it is always nice when someone that has "power" offers to share some of it with you, especially when you don't have any. By the way, air-conditioning is the greatest invention ever! Trust me on that one. Interestingly enough, at no time during the storms did I lose cell phone service. Hmmm.
6. The strangest and most personally uplifting thing I have witnessed over the past couple of months is that emergencies, like this series of storms that my state has suffered, brings out the best in some, if not most, people. I don't know if it is an American thing or just a human thing - or even if any of that matters. I'm relatively certain that it is part of the overall equalizing factor of an event or series of events of the magnitude of a disaster Floridians have sustained. When we are reminded of how insignificant each of us is before the awesome display of the forces of nature, we tend to have a sense of community and become nicer to one another. When was the last time you volunteered to help a neighbor trim some palm fronds? - Or remove a tree that fell in his or her yard? When was the last time you stopped to ask your neighbor if he or she wanted a ride to get a few bags of ice? It has happened here lately and almost everyday!
7. Having grown up in the country, on a farm west of Columbus, OH, I guess I always took for granted that there are trillions of stars visible at night once you are away from the ground lights of the city. For my kids, that was not the case. The closest they ever were to living in the country was in Connecticut, which meant we were in a suburb. But during the power outage at night I found all three of my kids stretched out on their backs in the bed of my pickup staring up at the Milky Way and mostly speechless in their shared awe.
Supplement, September 2017 -
8. Media coverage of Hurricane Harvey that struck Texas a couple of weeks ago and the impending monster called Irma has been over the top at times. The hype is somewhat justified. These storms are incredibly strong and much worse than what I experienced first hand in 2004. But I sort of feel like the local Florida new reporters suffer from "hurricane envy" and appear somewhat glad to have the spotlight for their uploads to the national news feed. Hey, I'm calling it like I see it. If Irma slams Florida, all the hype will seemed justified. But a week in advance of the storm's arrival they have caused shortages of water, gas, bread, and a number of other things.
9. As a result of the media hype I have been asked to work longer hours all week long and therefore have personally been unable to prepare properly. Fortunately, my kids are out on their own. Sarah is in Illinois and Amanda is in Boston. Rob lives in Orlando, closer to the UCF campus, about ten miles from where I am. It is relatively safe here, much more safe than it was living on the coast. I mean, people are coming here from south Florida! So, I question why people are buying 10 to 15 cases of water each. If their water comes from a well and they don't have a generator to power their pump, then I can see stocking up on water. But if they are on city water, the local water system is safe. In its history it has never failed as a result of a storm. Also it has generators for backup. I've confirmed all that with several people who work for the water utility. If it is simply a matter of not liking the taste of tap water, install a filter, use Crystal Light, Kool Aid or Tea to cover the taste.
10. Other stuff: If you live in Florida or anywhere else that is prone to tropical storms, you should probably have a number of items in your pantry that are canned for use during a power outage kind of emergency. Unless you hated them while you served in the military, a few MRE's might be worth keeping around. Also having a gas grill or propane camping stove is a pretty good idea. A power generator would be nice as well, especially to run a refrigerator and maybe an air conditioner.
*** In Conclusion (2004) ***
These disastrous, violent storms, I would not wish on anyone. It is not that I feel blessed or even particularly singled out to have survived. All the same, I am grateful to be alive. It is only that I noticed a few things that reaffirmed my faith that somehow we will all get through even the hardest of times. It is not because we can or must, but because we are all together in this strange and sometimes twisted little world. Sometimes, it takes a disaster to get our attention and remind us that this is our unique sandbox. This is the only place we have to play. We need to behave ourselves and share, regardless of how immature we are. What a pity it is that it takes disasters to bring the "human" out of our common "humanity". The shame is that most of us aren't a little more human to one another all the time. We wait until there is a tragedy become who we really are, members of the same tribe.