Storm Warning

Posted bywordsandcoffee1Posted inCurrent events, PoetryTags:, , , , , , , , , , , , 
winds cross the median
and cross our hearts
mitigated existence
cross-switched without care
destruction everywhere
the shame of luxury
of wasted liberty
a blight of eternity
hard-pressed against
nature's breast
only to be squashed
when the winds pull back

When we were camping over the weekend, we received a call from a good friend that our area had suffered some serious rain and storms. Someone posted that 3 inches of rain fell in about an hour. An entire 40-odd mile popular biking and walking trail in the area was temporarily closed due to extensive washout and downed trees, and most people had some damage. One of our windbreak trees was broken by the wind (ironic?) and took out a second tree.

I had a chance to take a walk on a junction trail that connects to the larger, still-closed trail this morning, so these photos are from that walk. The longer trail will eventually reopen, but I’m sure it will be at least another week, especially after I saw a photo of a person kayaking on the flooded trail yesterday circling local social media. I’m praying for another round of rainstorms to disappear from our upcoming 5-day forecast, as our rivers are already going crazy right now.

When we were receiving all the warnings about flash flooding and dangerous storms in our area, they were getting the same issues down in Texas– just at a much more intense and catastrophic level. The news estimated a month’s worth of rain fell in a few short hours in Kerrville, Texas, on Friday. I was shocked and saddened to hear about the devastation and loss of life from the flooding. It seems it is one disaster after another in the news these days, and when children are involved, it’s especially heartbreaking. Some of those young campers were close in age to my oldest, and I can’t imagine the pain those parents are feeling.

Our local storm issues don’t compare to the devastation down south, but I do find it sad that so many places are facing “once in 50-years” or “once in 100-years” natural disasters at an increasingly frequent rate. On social media, so many people resort to yelling about politics in these situations, but I think we need to stop lollygagging and blame-gaming and actually make some changes. Nature is unpredictable, but advanced warning systems, awareness, changes to behaviors to reduce climate impacts, adapting to the nature around us, and more are all easily implementable. Some days it physically pains me that so little action is taken by people who claim to be leaders; I only see the average, everyday person hard at work saving others in these situations, and so rarely do they receive the credit due. This post is dedicated to those trying to rescue those trapped in this disaster, other ongoing disasters, and the ones sadly certain to come.

4 thoughts on “Storm Warning”

  2. I’m glad you were alright! The weather patterns are going crazy here too! We have so much rain and then nothing! The heat has been unbearable for June and I hate to imagine what August will bring…

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