President Barack Obama steps off
Air Force One on Monday, October 29, upon arrival at Andrews Air Force
Base in Maryland. Obama canceled his appearance at a campaign rally in
Orlando, Florida, and returned early to Washington to monitor the
response to Hurricane Sandy.
(CNN) -- Hurricane veterans know when a bad one's coming. It's like those who feel the barometric pressure drop of approaching storm systems in their bones. I got the vibe midweek.
So
I asked my friends on the Gulf Coast, hardy survivors of Hurricane
Katrina, what advice they would share with those in Hurricane Sandy's
path. But I didn't want the usual flashlight, batteries, water,
generator, gasoline tips. Tell them something they don't know, I asked,
something that helped get you through.
Kathleen Koch
Here's what they said:
• Outdoor solar lights can be brought in at night to light the indoors.
• When you make a video of your home for insurance purposes beforehand, open drawers and closets so the contents are visible.
• Have a tire plug repair
kit and pliers to pull out nails or screws, since debris in the roadway
causes flats and leaks that are tough to repair when everything is
closed.
• Extend your cell phone battery's life by texting instead of calling and turning off Internet/Wi-Fi/Bluetooth/GPS connections.
• Bank safes and safe
deposit boxes are not waterproof. During flooding, items left in them
may be damaged and not accessible for weeks.
• Have thick tarps and roofing tacks in case you lose shingles from the wind.
What I didn't expect was the advice of a different nature that many added after their practical tips:
• Faith and the
knowledge that no matter what, your life and the life of your family is
more important than any material possession you may have.
• Keep a positive attitude and help your neighbor!
• Remember to have patience with your family, friends and neighbors. ... Work together and share your resources.
• Talk to each other.
Share old stories. Some of the best relationships were made in the
aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, as neighbors discovered new friends next
door and grew closer helping one another through a trying time.
Northeast braces for Hurricane Sandy
Bloomberg announces evacuation
MD governor.: Stay home, hunker down
• Read a book.
These are heartfelt
suggestions from those who know what it's like to lose everything all at
once. Disaster has a way of focusing the mind and leveling the playing
field. Doctors and bankers stood next to mechanics and janitors in food
lines in my Gulf Coast hometown of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, in the
weeks after Hurricane Katrina.
Such brutal shocks to
the system are inevitable. No one can stop them, though human beings
prefer to imagine we are omnipotent. We have access to virtually
anything with the click of a mouse or a tap on our smartphones. We can
Skype with someone on the other side of the world. We can land a rover
on Mars and find proof of ancient rivers. We can do anything -- except
control Mother Nature.
We don't like that,
because it forces us to accept that we are vulnerable. Nations, states,
cities and individuals wisely invest time and money on prevention
efforts, but we can't really predict when, where and how the effects of
nature at its worst will be felt.
What we can control is our reaction. And researchers report
that contrary to popular myth, during disasters most people don't adopt
an "every man for himself" attitude. Most react with responsibility and
concern for their neighbors. I have seen it myself, over decades
covering blizzards, floods, hurricanes and more.
Nearly five years after
Hurricane Katrina, I was present at a remarkable discussion between the
mayor of Bay St. Louis and his wife. Most of the town's homes and
businesses were heavily damaged or destroyed in 2005 when the monster
storm's 30-foot surge, sustained 125 mph winds and hopscotching
tornadoes roared through. But the town and its people recovered.
"It was amazing. It
really was," said Eddie Favre of the spirit of kindness, generosity and
selflessness that prevailed in the months after the hurricane. "It would
be nice to reclaim some of that patience and understanding. I wish we
could go back to it."
"I feel bad saying it, but I really miss it," agreed his wife Jan. "We were all so close."
Times of disaster reveal
not just our human fragility, but our strengths. It is at times like
this that we learn what we are made of. People come together, share what
they have and accept help from others. Suddenly differences that once
seemed insurmountable turn out to be quite insignificant. The worst of
times can bring out the best.
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