When disasters strike

The flooding last week in the Northeast was heart-breaking. And the still raging wildfires out West gut-wrenching. Horrendous disasters.

Such destruction and us humans with little if any control.

Mother Nature can be a bear. 

Seems like the universe, or whoever is in charge, could have sent some of the torrential rain causing the flooding to where it was needed most. But that’s obviously not the way things work.

I keep thinking about the aftermath of these disasters. Once the dangers pass and people are able to return to their homes and businesses, what are they facing? 

No amount of insurance or government assistance can cover their losses. Many people have had to evacuate so quickly, they had no time to collect their most treasured possessions.

Unfortunately, the fires are still blazing, the Carr fire in northern California destroying more than 1,000 homes and buildings in its path – so far. There’s a long way to go before it will be contained. Already firefighters and civilians have lost their lives.

Remembering my own disasters

I had flashes of the disasters I’ve lived through – the unexpected flood of 1994 in Middle Georgia when Hurricane Alberto stalled and dumped its load on the area for days. The one road leading to my neighborhood in Macon was under water and the only way out until the waters receded was via a narrow trail through the woods behind my house.

Flooded intersection in July 1994 – the only way into or out of my neighborhood in Macon, Georgia.

The interstates and other main roads running through the area were flooded, causing a standstill for days. The main water treatment plant flooded and we were without running water for 19 days. No water for showers, flushing toilets, drinking – nothing. 

Once the roads cleared, water trucks made regular trips throughout the city delivering water to people in need. A friend and I rigged up an outdoor shower system and used that water to bathe every few days.

I was without power for three weeks after Hurricane Frederic ramrodded its way through South Alabama in 1979. And I was five months pregnant with my son. That was an extremely uncomfortable time.

After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, I helped my sister clean up her home and business that had been flooded in Mandeville, Louisiana. Big, soggy mess and no power for weeks.

At the time, these were traumatic incidents to me. They disrupted my life as I knew it.

But in the overall scheme of things, they were mere inconveniences. That thought has occurred to me many times before, particularly last year watching the devastation wrought by the back-to-back hurricanes.

I have felt ashamed of myself for feeling so put upon.

California disaster

And then I watched the news over the weekend.

A man was interviewed about his family who had died in the horrible Carr fire. He had just left his wife with their two great grandchildren, 4 and 5, to run a quick errand. They called him a few minutes later to come back to get them, the fire was lapping at their back door. They had no way out.

He tried to get back home to them but couldn’t get through. In tears, he described staying on the phone trying to keep them calm while his wife covered herself and the children in wet blankets and kept telling her husband how much she loved him. Their remains were later found in a little huddle, wrapped up together.

The man said he had no idea the fire was that close.  He thought it was miles away, across the river. He received no warning, no notice to evacuate.

That interview shook me up. And it’s just one little microcosm of what the victims of these disasters are dealing with.

What can be done?

It’s tough figuring out what to even say at this point. Or knowing what to do. I’m sure feeling powerless doesn’t help – but it’s hard to get past that.

I am grateful for the firefighters and other first responders risking their lives to help. I’m grateful for the Red Cross and other service organizations with all their volunteers stepping up to provide aid. I’m grateful for people who generously donate their money, time, service and other resources.

How can I make a difference?