Hindsight

Need to vent...

Mother Nature can be tough to handle, you cannot win that fight. You can survive it, and find ways to make it through, perhaps with a struggle. I had a professor in college who was a firm believer that anyone who would put a home in an area that was known to flood, or slide, or quake - well they were idiots in his mind. 

And those of us who have chosen to live near the ocean, in a hurricane area keep our fingers crossed that the next Andrew or Sandy does not come and visit us. But... most of us know that it could, can/probably will happen. In the back of our minds we do [or should] have some backup plan. And we respect that it may happen at any time.

I lived on an island when they said a hurricane was coming right for us. And it did. I packed up as much stuff as I could - fit it into my Prelude with my two cats and went to a friends parents house hours north. I slept on my own air mattress in the dining room, my cats stayed in the garage. I waited until they said we could get back in four agonizing days...then drove back wondering what happened there [as I could not get in contact with anyone]. Pulled up to my apartment, and found 6 inches of water - luckily I was on the second floor and the roof held! No power -for over two weeks. I just went to work, ate at work and enjoyed the cool there for the 12 hours I put in. Then went home and did not sleep in the heat.  I took care of my elderly neighbors downstairs - got them water and ice from where I worked. I believe in Karma.

But I also lived up north where a snowstorm might trap you in your home for several days, and perhaps take your power down too. Have supplies for several days, and a plan was the only way to survive in all these situations.

And I have been visited by at least three hurricanes while living here in Ft Lauderdale. Each different, yet damaging. Power out each time. And Wilma took down most traffic lights, no gasoline, no water, no grocery stores [no power or refrigeration]. It took a long time to get things fixed. Eating cereal or PB&J for meals...not ideal but we survived.

So...I completely understand what the people in the NYC metro area are going through. I would hate it up there now as cold weather and I do not get along. But...   quit yer bitchin!  Time to work together and you will get through this. You do not have it any worse then New Orleans did, or Homestead did after Andrew. Many people lost everything there too...and they kept on keeping on and made it through. Some houses were complete losses and never rebuilt. There was a reason people had the shore houses as summer homes only...they knew they were on borrowed time and Mother Nature was lurking.  

Every area of the country has sent help, many of us have sent money. But at some point many of those people need to look in the mirror and answer why they did not do the things the gov't told them to do. OK...so they have been wrong before but they got this one right. Wouldn't you be better off if you had listened and reacted? Yet...in all the reports have we heard anyone say anything like "boy, I wish I had been better prepared!"