Posted by Dinah on September 18, 2004, at 21:02:32
In reply to Re: Ivan the gentleman hurricane, posted by Jai Narayan on September 15, 2004, at 22:03:06
It's hard to wish change in hurricanes because wherever they hit they cause so much damage. I always pray for them to turn around and go out to sea (although that would have meant a u-turn and some tricky steering in this case) or for a weakening in intensity and for the least populated area to be the site of landfall, with everyone in the path being sensible to the need for evacuation, and buildings being designed to withstand as much damage as possible. And even that's not good enough, because if it's your house destroyed, it doesn't matter if the hurricane made landfall in such a way as to cause minimum damage to the world in general.
There are no gentleman hurricanes. Only forces of nature so powerful and unpredictable as to serve as useful reminders as to how puny and insignificant we humans are, despite our pretensions to the contrary.
I am so very grateful to those who risk their lives to bring information that keeps hurricanes from being the huge surprise they were before hurricane planes and satellites. I am so impressed with those who realized what was really important and left their properties to an uncertain fate to make sure their families (and rescue workers) were safe. And I am so sorry for those who lost so much in all the hurricanes this year.
I think it's the Red Cross that does such great work in hurricane aftermaths? My husband and I will be sending what we can earmarked for hurricane relief. It's been a heck of a year, and I'm sure reserves are being tapped.
And now for a prayer of supplication I feel comfortable making. May Jean go out to sea and may no further storms brew out there this year.
poster:Dinah
thread:390122
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20040914/msgs/392441.html