Meridian Magazine :: Enjoying the Journey: Lessons from Hurricane Ike

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In the midst of the global financial “meltdown,” the epic effects of Hurricane Ike are almost forgotten, except by those who are still putting their lives back together in its wake or still rendering assistance. Sadly, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and the like do not ask if their timing is convenient. “Oh, I didn't realize you were having a financial crisis — I'll come back next year instead.” They just come and do their damage anyway.

Advocating for emergency preparedness makes me sometimes feel like a mom. You know the feeling — you nag, and the kids roll their eyes, or offer polite responses, but you know they are not really listening. Yet, it has been wonderful to hear from several people about their experience with Hurricane Ike, and their comments may be more valuable than any bullet points I could otherwise share:

Chris in Ohio said:

We were very blessed at my house: we lost power for only about three hours. My house and yard are completely undamaged, and cleanup consisted of mowing up all the leaf debris along with my grass (except for the neighbor's pesky sweetgum balls that got blown into my yard).

Many people, on the other hand, lost trees, shingles, siding, porches, and still have no power. Or have large trees in their living rooms or in their cars.

In my part of Ohio, we're pretty complacent about feeling immune to most natural disasters and might take our disaster planning a bit too lightly. Watching Ike settle over the state was surreal. I was almost waiting to see the flying monkeys and Dorothy's neighbor to blow across the road on her bicycle!

Hurricane-force winds caused more power outages here than in Texas, and it's expected to be a full week or more before complete power restoration; many more for damage repair and long-term crop and economic losses. It's a real eye-opener for those who have “eyes to see.” No one can be complacent any more.

A sister missionary in Cincinnati reported:

The winds from Hurricane Ike caused 92% of the Tri-stake area to be without power. Trees were down and there was much chaos. All the missionaries were confined to their apartments for two days, and now we have been helping with clean-up. The four or five gas stations that had gas were drained quickly. The corn crop is now lying flat on the ground.

Here is a letter from a reader in Kemah , Texas — written to me a couple months before Hurricane Ike. Note that the letter that follows it is from the same reader after Hurricane Ike:

I just read your great article online at Meridian Magazine, then clicked over to your article here on preparing to evacuate. I wanted to point out that if you turn your electricity off before you leave, and your home is not destroyed, you will come home to a refrigerator full of spoiled food, and thus possibly a ruined refrigerator.

I have an ongoing interest in preparedness so I have been paying close attention to the spikes in wheat and rice prices as well as groceries in general, as well as the rising cost of filling up our car. We have been somewhat lulled into false security that oil and food prices will eventually rebound, but we have no proof. It sure is a secure feeling to know that if the normal food supply were suddenly interrupted, our family would be O.K.

The same sister writes after experiencing Ike. Notice how prophetic her words were.

Our stake is south of Houston , the Friendswood Texas Stake, and includes Galveston so it was hit hard by Hurricane Ike. My husband and I were grateful that the only damage to our home was roof tiles blown off by the Category 2 winds that caused water damage in one of our bathroom ceilings, and a section of fence blown over. This was all discovered when we returned home, since we evacuated two days before the hurricane was predicted to hit. We left in plenty of time to avoid heavy traffic, and had no real trouble going to my sister's in San Antonio, so of course one wise thing is to evacuate as soon as feasible.

Friends in our ward had homes flooded and cars and other possessions ruined by the storm. Since September 13, most of the members of our stake continue to be involved in cleanup. Our ward's emergency preparedness couple, as well as our Relief Society president, have done an incredible job of coordinating efforts as well as supplying items needed for cleaning. The Church quickly delivered buckets with cleaning supplies, which were distributed to the various homes in need of work. As groups of youth, elders, and high priests, we have gone in wearing gloves and masks to tear out damp sheetrock and insulation, piling up the filled bags by the curb.

As far as preparation, one of the best things we did was have cases of bottled water stored to use while there was a boil water order for municipal water. It was convenient to have bottles of water for everyone to drink while they were working in the many damaged homes. I did not go to the grocery store for a week after we got home because I had heard supplies were low and I figured other less prepared people needed what was there. We got electricity back quickly — only three days after the hurricane blew through — but before that, we barbecued all of the meat in our freezer and invited our neighbors over to eat. I boiled the eggs that had been sitting at slightly colder than room temperature in the unopened refrigerator to add to a potato salad I made, and used other canned food for meals. I didn't have to use the dehydrated food we have set aside for longer term storage.

Life has gotten back to normal quickly, and I even felt a little guilty buying fresh produce, dairy products and fresh meat when we got our electricity back, while others did not yet have it. Having gone through this disaster I think we need to store more canned foods that can be easily prepared, have cleaning supplies such as gloves, masks, and garbage bags, and possibly a generator to run essentials like refrigerators and lights. But overall, the level of preparation was outstanding, including bags of ice and MRE's quickly available to anyone needing them brought in by FEMA.

The real success of recovery from Ike has been the incredible number of hard-working volunteers who have come from all over the United States to help people they don't even know. The progress made in just a few short weeks has been heartwarming and wouldn't have been possible without selfless people putting aside their own responsibilities to help others in need.

Did you notice in her first note to me she mentions the need to store food? She was originally worried about emergencies other than a hurricane, but it was a hurricane that became the emergency that caused her to rely on her food storage. She also mentioned needing to store more cleaning supplies, gloves, masks, and garbage bags. Immediately after hurricane Ike I sent an email to everyone on my Blog.TotallyReady.com list with the counsel to take these same items into areas where they were traveling to help with the clean up. If you have not already signed up on the blog please do that today for occasional updates.

Christoffer wrote, reporting on the work of his elders quorum:

Our work took place in Conroe, Texas , where we cut up and hauled some trees off and away from a home. The trees came down on the home in a sort of domino fashion during Ike and ended up causing some damage to the roof. Here are some interesting things that I learned that you could pass on:

During a cleanup it's important to realize that power being out means that there is no power to pump the pumps at the gas stations. Most stations simply close down.

When cutting up logs and branches after a storm in a "disaster" zone, FEMA will pay to have your debris picked up. Just know that logs and branches must be cut to lengths 6 feet or shorter.

The couple that we helped are not members of the Church, but requested help and were sent a crew of 10 of us for about eight hours with a skid loader tractor and three chainsaws. The trees were not small, but we managed to clear them out to the satisfaction of the homeowner. Luckily the trees fell right next to the house, when a trajectory just 15 degrees to the side could have crushed the bedroom in the home and likely injured/killed the residents. Another good reason to evacuate.

And finally, from Abby at Safely Gathered In, who writes:

Three years ago, Katrina devastated parts of Mississippi and Louisiana. Volunteers were requested to help from all over the Southeast. My husband was among a group that went to the coast of Mississippi the week after Katrina had struck.

One particular experience will always stick out in his memory. They had been riding around the first day with a member of the Mississippi Ocean Springs Ward, who had been showing them the places that needed help the most. When they asked to see how his house had fared, he consented to take them to where his house had been. His house was right on the coast, about two hundred yards from the beach. There was nothing left but a foundation.

As the volunteers began cleaning up the destroyed house, trying to salvage any personal possessions, they started to notice something interesting. There were broken bottles everywhere — broken bottles that once contained bottled fruits, vegetables, and sauces. The member confirmed that his year's supply lay strewn and broken along the ground.

My husband asked him how it felt to see all of that hard work destroyed. The man's answer will always be remembered at our house: "The prophet commanded us to gather a year's supply — he didn't say we were going to eat it. We have not been hungry in the week since the hurricane. The Lord has provided, because of our faith."

I think that says it all. Food storage and self reliance is not about food or finances; it is about faith to follow the Lord's counsel.

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