Disasters and Reflections

Disasters and Reflections was Originally Posted on October 31, 2012 by lavarock

Two recent weather events have caused me to reflect. The first was our tsunami warning last week here in Hawaii. The second is the storm in the Northeast mainland.

We made it through our warning and tsunami event virtually unscathed. The northeast, far from it. Some east coasters were stuck in Hawaii because of the storm back home, only to go home and have to recover their lives.

when I moved here, it was to escape the smog, hurricanes, traffic and tornados of Atlanta. I accepted the possibilities of tsunamis, earthquakes, vog and lava flows.

It sounds like an even trade but it is not. I was able to pick where I lived, having some insight into what I was getting into. I bought a property that was not very steep, had good drainage, was not near the ocean, was not in the most obvious path of lava flows and out of the way of the general hurricane paths.

Growing up I lived in many of the places that have been on the news recently. One such place was Point Pleasant where I spent many summers. My relatives still live ther and I have not been able to reach them. I am sure their first floor was flooded.

I have spent many a day at every casino in Atlanta City and photos show many streets under sand. A number of those casinos have to be horribly damaged.

The Oyster Creek nuclear power station used to be almost in my back yard and I have friends and schoolmates in Seaside Park and the Heights. A friends father owned a bar on the boardwalk and arial photos shows it may be gone.

A bridge I used to travel over was decimated and many people I know are digging out and seeing how the storm has changed their life.

So although you may watch TV and think about those far away, some of us have close ties and feelings for those effected.

I hope they recover quickly and are able to move forward.