The Weatherman

We just went through the outer fringes of Category 4 Hurricane Helene, in NE Florida. I watched the Weather Channel and local news weather monitoring nonstop, all day on the day of the storm, as the storm climbed up the coast. All day, we and many across the country anxiously watched the hurricane approach. Then, we watched it thrash and inundate communities on its path, from Southwest Florida to North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee.

At around 2 am, with the winds still howling, I finally went to bed. I spent another hour listening to the heavy rain, a kind of afterthought of the storm. This differed from the recent storm, Debbie, which was all water and almost no wind.

We were lucky. We never even lost power.

I woke up near eight and turned the coverage of the storm back on, even before walking out into the light of day, to survey the damage.

During the storm, it was loud and blowy–38 mph sustained winds, with gusts in the 60’s. More than anything, the trees suffered, as did anything located beneath them or their branches. The image above is from a different storm, but images like it are everywhere, right now. Elsewhere in Florida and other nearby states, the damage was devastating. My heart goes out to those who are suffering now. And my thanks go out to those who guide us through and past these frightening events.

Give, if you can.

We watch you on our mobile phones.

We watch you on TV.

Still just as strong at fifty-nine

As once, at twenty-three.

You stand against the weather.

You stand, as objects fly.

Your biceps flex against the wind.

Your sturdy legs deny

The beach sand any quarter.

It flies and stings your face.

You grimace and continue on,

Not letting up your pace,

Reporting every nuance,

Entreating us to heed

As serious, your warnings,

Amazed, that there’s a need,

With dear Katrina, darling Andrew

In our rearview mirror,

And Ian, just the other day. 

The message can’t be clearer.

And still, we sit and sip martinis,

Scoff the wind and rain!

You can but shout into the wind,

But hope, to ease our pain,

As here it comes, again.

For an essay about our earlier experiences with Hurricanes, written around the time of Hurricane Harvey, read The Wind Beyond the Walls. For a ballad, about a fictional storm and the terrible damage it wrought, read Good Fortune 2. To make a donation for victims of Hurricane Helene, check out the Red Cross, or the charity of your choice.