This came out of the blue – no warning, no indication of a possible catastrophe.
The weather forecast for Augusta indicated some wind and lots of rain, with the Atlanta bearing the brunt of the storm’s fury. “No big deal”, as I told my son, who warned me about not having a generator and extra food. This would just blow over like other storms that brushed through the area.
I was awakened by the sound of the wind around 4:00 AM on Friday, September 27th. I quickly went downstairs and made coffee, thinking the power would soon go out, given the growing intensity of the wind. I began to hear the cracking of tree limbs and a loud thud as a big oak tree went down, although I wasn’t sure what happened. I heard the sound of metal outdoor chairs being hurled around the driveway and our home’s large tin roof rattling. At 5:00 AM, the lights went out, and little did I know that it would be over a week before power would be restored.
As daylight broke, the damage was dramatically apparent. While our home appeared to escape any serious damage, out back lot, full of beautiful hardwood black walnut and pecan trees, were toppled over each other, described as a spaghetti mess by the tree guy we secured to remove the uprooted mini forest, which had been our pride and joy in our 108-year-old home.
With a short time, the family began group messaging, describing the conditions in their respective neighborhoods. Praise God, all were safe, and damage to property was minimal, and over the next week, information was shared about sources of food and gasoline, frustration over delays in power and internet being restored, and thanking God that this disaster could have been much worse.
Any change in routine is a bit challenging at best. When facing an extended loss of power with water needing boiling, no internet available and of course with the air conditioner being down, we are more vulnerable that we might imagine.
A total shutdown also brings about an imposed calm, with lots of quiet, stars more visible at night, and a sense of a monastic-type lifestyle. One night, I read from scripture and reflected aloud with Stephanie about the life of a Carmelite saint, St. Therese of Lisieux, whose feast day was October 1st, which took place in the midst of our blackout and imposed quietude. So, there were benefits to this otherwise miserable experience.
A week after the storm, power was restored, followed by internet service coming back a week later. Recently, work was done to cut and remove the toppled backyard trees, leaving the wreckage on the street awaiting removal.
How quickly were our lives brought back to some normalcy, and the trauma from the storm became a frequent topic throughout the community. We learned how vulnerable we are to radical change in our lives, underscoring the reality that we are utterly dependent on God’s grace to see us through any calamity. Amen!
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