There But For the Grace of God...

Most people don't like to focus on the negative but, unfortunately, it's all around us in some form or another. This time the spinner on the wheel stopped at Houston, Texas. Although it's a low-lying city, no one would've expected a flood of this epic proportion. It's hard to even imagine the amount of rain they've gotten, like in the neighborhood of fifty inches. A news source said that beneath the city is clay, which does not absorb water well. 

Just out of curiosity I looked up the definition of the name Harvey. What I found was interesting, though not of real significance. Harvey, according to The Meaning of the Name, means battle worthy or carnage worthy; the origin Scottish-Gaelic. The city of Houston has bravely and aggressively taken on the immense responsibility of dealing with that hurricane/tropical storm's invasion.

Prior to the hurricane making landfall, a particular cable network news host interviewed a woman who had just had a baby. She and her husband live in Houston. Asked what their plans were she replied that they would ride out the hurricane, that she believed they were not directly in Harvey's path. She also added, and I'm not sure just why, that they lived in a first floor apartment. I can't imagine how that would provide a feeling of security. I have not heard any more about that young family. I can only hope they made it to safety.

The good news is, as of now there haven't been the number of fatalities as there was with Hurricane Katrina, though it's hard to measure suffering and loss by sheer numbers. Harvey has not been like Katrina in all ways. Katrina, came through the Gulf, delivered its payload of wind and water and moved on, leaving tragedy in its wake. Hurricane Harvey and its seemingly endless amount of rain made landfall and decided to sit and spin over the course of days.

Here's the part that has caused some deep thought for me: Given the sheer number of people -many in shock - rescued from their flooded homes; how long can they live in shelters in groups of thousands, and how do they deal with their pets? What do they go back to - homes that need to be gutted due to filthy water and mildew issues? What about all their belongings; not just things covered by insurance, but personal items such as photos, gifts etc? In regard to insurance one lady who was interviewed said she had let her renters insurance lapse. She added that before the way was impassable, she moved her car to a parking garage so as to have a vehicle when the nightmare ends.  But what about their lives and routines such as jobs, medical appointments, other obligations or even just fixing dinner and watching TV? How about their vehicles, what do they drive and, for that matter, where do they drive? The questions go on and on, but here's one that non-flood people can be asking themselves: Whatever I'm dealing with, is it as bad as the catastrophe those in Houston are coping with? 

It will be a long time before Houstonians' lives will be close to normal; pre-Harvey. I guess that's why I believe in prayer. Some circumstances require nothing short of a a miracle. I believe this is one of those times.