I have lived through a lot of hurricanes. I have never seen anything like Hurricane Helene. This isn't just another news story. It's a reminder of how fragile this precious world truly is.
North Carolina has been crushed by the storm. Over 400 roads closed, 11 people killed, homes devastated. It's absolutely tragic. I visited the beautiful city of Asheville not too long ago. The scenery was as lovely as the people. Now dozens of their roads are completely washed away. I can't believe that places I have been lately are now unrecognizable.
It's a true humanitarian effort of overwhelming proportions. Over a thousand people unaccounted for in one county alone? That's not a number, that's a thousand families living in fear. And the storm is being compared to "biblical devastation." As much as I hate cliches, calling it a biblical downfall is an understatement.
The long-term devastation is what really scares me.
Of course we need to rescue now, but what happens next week? What about next month? What about next year? All those businesses destroyed, all the families displaced. The financial toll alone could be generational.
Climate change is the real problem, people. It is real. Mother Nature is trying to wash us away and we need to make changes. We have been turning a blind eye to global warming for far too long. Hurricane Helene is not a coincidence. It is Mother Nature. I suppose calling it a her means it really is a Momma bear and we need to stop poking her before it gets a lot worse.
Why is it going to take the complete flooding of North Carolina to make people do something about glaciers shrinking?!
It's maddening!
I see people pull together in times of disaster like this and it is beautiful. We cannot wait for a disaster to unite the country though. We must act well before that to save lives and resources.
Hurricane Helene is just the alarm clock. The question is, will we get out of bed or keep hitting the snooze button?