Hurricane Katrina came ashore in Mississippi. Katrina was the 12th named storm that year. Everyone thought New Orleans was spared until the levees failed in the aftermath. Everyone forgets Katrina went through South Florida as a Cat 1 storm before it moved into the warm bath water of the Gulf this time of year.
I lived in Florida in 2004 and 2005. I remember. I moved from Atlanta to Tallahassee the day Hurricane Charlie hit the peninsula in 2004. I remember driving down I-75 with the signs flashing, “Travel into Florida is not recommended.” I remember thinking, “What are you doing?” as I drove through the outer rain bands that had made their way to South Georgia. I remember the storms coming through, knocking out the power and water for days. I remember the tree falling into the roof of the rental property. I remember it took 9 months to get it fixed because so many other places were in such worse shape. I remember filling up my washing machine so I could use the water to flush the toilet if need be. I remember walking to my car (parked a couple blocks away where there were fewer tall trees) with a lantern to make sure I could see where I was walking at 6:30 a.m. because the power was out in my neighborhood. But, FSU had power & water, I had an 8 a.m. stats class, & they’d already given us 2 days off that semester for other hurricanes. I remember everything just being soaked after the storms – inside and outside – until the power came back on and the A/C was able to dry out the inside of my home. I remember not really being able to afford to replace the food that had gone bad in the fridge because the power was out. I was a doc student, barely able to afford to keep my head above proverbial water at the best of times.
As bad as those hurricane seasons were, neither of them were during the middle of the 4th wave of a pandemic caused by a respiratory virus. None of the 2004 or 2005 storms hit when the hospitals were above ICU capacity because of COVID-19. Now, I hear the power is out in New Orleans and other parts of southern Louisiana.
I find myself needing to send healing energy to the universe and specifically to those who have been, are, or will be affected by this storm in the days to come. It’s summer and it’s hurricane season. And, we humans are not prepared for even that. But, we really are not prepared to deal with the climate change we caused in the middle of a pandemic we made worse through the choices of a vocal few. I hope everyone in Ida’s path was able to find safe shelter and that they are able to stay safe over the next few weeks once Ida is gone.
In peace and healing this evening
Outside The Box 