The images coming from the Carolinas after Hurricane Florence have been horrifying.  They always are after a natural disaster occurs.  The reporter that I was watching earlier said that the worst of the flooding is still to come.  That is a scary thought.  I cannot imagine that the flooding could get any worse.  At some point you become numb to the wreckage.  It’s tough to watch events unfold when you know there’s no way to stop or mitigate them.

I have family in the Raleigh, North Carolina area, but we are not close and I think of them in much the same way that I think of all the other nameless people that are living through this act of nature.  It was more personal when Houston took the hit last year.  I knew people directly affected by the massive flooding.  Homes lost.  Lives in turmoil.  It will be the same for those in the hardest hit areas of the Carolinas.  And everyone will say that it’s just belongings and stuff that are lost, be grateful for the lives spared.  That’s easy to say when it’s your not home that’s been flooded and your stuff that’s been destroyed.  We try and see the bright side that it’s just a house.  That home is the people in your family and community and not the structures.  We say all of that, but do any of us really believe it?

I’ve been very lucky in that I’ve never had to deal with the aftermath of a natural disaster.  I lived through more than one tornado in Ohio.  I can remember hearing the sirens and hiding in the basement while the funnel cloud did it’s thing.  But I never had to deal with a direct hit.  So, I’ve never lost a home or my belongings in this way.  I believe that home is supposed to be your safe space.  It’s where you can relax your guard and just be yourself.  And while home is mostly about the people in it, it is also about the structure.  It’s your little corner of the world.  And regardless of how it happens, losing your home has an effect on your psyche.  The uncertainty and unease that you experience when you lose your home cannot be underestimated.  And if you’re not safe at home, then where are you safe?  It’s a bad combination for anyone, much less a child.  That’s what gets forgotten in all the platitudes.  The victims of this storm will be dealing with the after effects for years, possibly decades.

I also don’t understand how we see these pictures after these storms and there are still people that think it will different when it’s their turn.  Hurricane parties?  Why?  Shouldn’t we stop taunting nature?  It’s a battle that we seem to lose on a fairly regular basis.  Two years and two huge storms to hit.  Epic storms that have resulted in historic flooding.  Wildfires that burn hotter and longer.  Largest wildfire in the history of the state of California.  It feels like we keep repeating ourselves year after year.  And climate deniers can continue to deny.  It’s their right even though I disagree with them.  I’m not sure how a person denies that the climate is changing and that our actions have not played some role in that fact.  We should just accept our role in the changes occurring to the climate and stop thumbing our noses at nature.  We should be learning from our past actions and not ignoring or denying them.

For those that have family and friends dealing with the aftermath of the hurricane, I can only say how sorry I am that it’s your turn.  It sucks.  And the only platitude I’m willing to offer is this – Home is where the heart is.

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Update on the flat earthers:  These deniers had a conference in the UK over the summer.  And apparently Australia doesn’t exist.  This isn’t a new theory but it seemed to be the star of the show.  The fictional Australia is a giant conspiracy to cover up the mass murder of over 162,000 people when the UK decided to expel their criminals.  Every world leader and pilot are in on the conspiracy.  And then there’s the theory gravity doesn’t exist.  Only electromagnetism.  Giant magnets attached to the underneath of this flat disc are what keep us in place.  What is wrong with these people?  And no, I can’t let it go.  This is more ridiculous than the alien abduction stories.  It’s going to drive me nuts. Thank heavens no one keeps track of my browser history and…no, I can’t even type that without laughing.