Thursday, August 30, 2012

Calling Noah...

And the rain continues to fall. Isacc is making an indelible impression on the Gulf Coast. Homes and towns in Mississippi and Alabama are washing away. Thousands in Louisiana are evacuating as a dam threatens to give way.

And the thing I'm noticing on the news clips is one phrase repeated over and over. "It came so fast."

No, it didn't. Isacc was moving particularly slow. Multiple repeated warnings forecasted heavy rain and wind. People had over twenty-four hours to prepare and either evacuate or be ready to do so.

And yet...

Over and over you see pictures of folks who say they've lost everything. One woman escaped without even grabbing her purse. That's how fast the end came.

I admit I don't understand. Every time I've been under a weather threat, I prepared ahead of time. The car was packed. I was ready to go with the personal possessions I would need to survive. And when the authorities said, "Go!" we did.

Did I like it? Heck, no. Who wants to leave their home? But for crying out loud! Aren't lives more important than a bit of wood and brick? The people plucked from roofs and attics still don't have their homes AND they almost lost their lives. How does that make sense?

Some will say I'm unsympathetic. I only have one thing to say to that. Every single storm places the rescuers in danger--usually because someone was somewhere they shouldn't have been.

anny

2 comments:

  1. I agree with you. I've only been through one cyclone yet I have the hall cupboard with all my emergency supplies - torches, canned foos, sleeping bag, water, matches, candles, first aid etc and I'll take heed of warnings because frankly you're stupid not to. To me, weak people will never prepare. The strong will.

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  2. ...that would be 'foods'...I don't know what 'foos' are...but if I needed them to survive I would get them

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