Time changes dramatically when something completely beyond your control suddenly drops into your life. Like a hurricane. And not just any hurricane either, but one of the most powerful on record. I am talking about Hurricane Florence.
Over the last several days, many have watched the unfolding drama as this monster storm, easily visible from space, finally made landfall and began to wreak havoc in the Carolinas. So, we watch mesmerized, thankful it's not us "under there" and then most of us go on about our busy lives.
What if the people affected are not just on the TV screen. What if they are your family? I would like to write a little about that tonight.
Personal Family
When we first learned of the path of this storm, we immediately inquired of a family member if they were ready and taking steps to evacuate, if necessary.
Yes, well, there was one small problem. They are in a unit of our military reserves here in America and it just "coincidentally" happened to be their annual two-week tour of duty. Wow! What timing ...
Faced with one of the most powerful forces known to man, it is remarkable how feeble the attempts are to do something about the impending doom. There is no power in this world able to stop it. All you can do is wait ...
Equally remarkable in these events are the number of people who somehow think they are invincible. At least for a few minutes ...
Once the monstrously destructive power of these storms falls down around them, they quickly come to their senses. Sadly, a bit too late ... Others then have to put themselves in harm's way to rescue them. That is, if they have not waited until it is tragically too late ...
We are thankful, as this is written, that our family member is doing okay. As you'll see in my closing, they are very thankful for their relatively safe situation, working with a very well prepared and trained group doing all they can to help.
Professional "Family"
As stated in my introductory post, I am employed by an electric service distribution cooperative. What is one of the first things people typically lose in a storm of this magnitude? Their all-important electric service. Without this all-important service, which we too often take for granted, your life suddenly comes to a screeching halt. Until it is restored ...
And who restores it? An "army" of linemen typically descend on these troubled areas from all over the country. Now, in calmer times, there is a lot of joking about our "family" and how dysfunctional it is, etc. All in light-hearted, good fun ...
That changes the moment there is an emergency. They are truly a "brotherhood," who come together at a time like this, to do whatever it takes to restore power as quickly as is safely possible.
I am not a lineman myself, but have been part of many discussions about their heroic exploits, when the "call of duty" summons them. At any time. In any weather conditions. They will be there ...
If you ever happen to notice these people routinely going about their daily activities, I can assure you they would be appreciative of your being thankful for how they handle their "first responder" duties.
The costs of these remarkable storms don't end on "the front lines." Shortly before making landfall, we received this message from one of our vital day-to-day service providers:
"With Hurricane Florence forecast to make landfall along the North Carolina coast later this week, there is a strong likelihood that our office location will be affected Wednesday through Friday by damaging winds and heavy rainfall."
"To ensure the safety of our staff, ... will close our office at 5:00 p.m. Wednesday. We are hopeful that we will be able to reopen Monday 9/17 at 8:00am, but conditions may warrant additional closings. We apologize for any inconvenience, but the safety of our staff and families is of primary concern at this time."
"We are praying for all of our customers in the forecast track and a miracle course reversal for the storm. To our utility clients, we want to extend a heartfelt "thank you" to you, your linemen, and recovery staff. Please be safe as you endeavor to keep the lights on."
In this day and age of computers being at the center of almost everything we do, this message was a sobering reminder to us of what was coming and its potential impact, although we were far away, out in "Rocky Mountains, America."
It is mission-critical for service providers to take steps to be able to provide uninterrupted service, no matter what happens in any one location. Fortunately for us, this particular service provider had done just that.
Closing
The "final chapter" of this story has not been written for our family. But, the worst appears to be behind us. In my Gratitude and the Simple Things post, I talked about the importance of being thankful. For what we have. Rather than the far more common being unthankful for what we don't ...
I hope this post finds you and yours doing well, wherever you may be. You may want to join me in taking a moment to give thanks for the simple things. We are safe in a warm (or cool) dry home. With no threats to our existence anywhere in sight. And tomorrow will just be another day. I am thankful that is the case.
All the best to you for a better tomorrow, as we all work together to build our Steem Community! 👍 😊
Respectfully,
Posted using Busy.org and “immutably enshrined in the blockchain” on Wednesday, 19 September 2018!
