Nowhere is Safe From Natural Disasters
Kevin Felts 11.13.18
As wildfires sweep through Southern California we are reminded no location is safe from natural disasters. It does not matter how much money someone has, or how well the structure is fortified, when Mother Nature strikes, the best laid plans can fall to the wayside.
After Hurricane Ike laid waste to Southeast Texas, I was walking through the neighborhood I grew up in when I noticed a book laying in a pile of rubble. The book was titled “How To Survive Anything.” I guess the people living in the house had survived Hurricane Ike, because their belongings, along with everything inside the house, was out on the curb for garbage pick up.
I found the book to be rather ironic because entire communities had been flooded by Hurricane Ike’s storm surge. My parents house had been flooded by around nine feet of water. Thankfully they had evacuated just hours before Ike made landfall. Some people were not so lucky; they decided to ride out the storm and their decision cost them their lives. Then along came Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Harvey stalled as it made landfall, and the resulting torrential downpour flooded numerous communities all along the Southeast Texas coast.
The central portions of the United States are subject to tornadoes.
North and Northeastern states deal with violent snowstorms and blizzard conditions.
After memories of past natural disasters fade and communities rebuild, we are reminded the sheer power of Mother Nature when another disaster strikes, such as the current wildfire in Southern California.
According to The Daily Mail, at least 107,000 acres have been burned, 6,713 buildings have been destroyed, and the fire is still raging.
Sun rises over decimated Malibu
It’s burned through 109,000 acres, destroyed 6,713 buildings – most of them homes – and is 25% contained.
The Camp Fire blaze’s death toll is only feared to rise with at least 110 missing persons reports still pending.
‘In some cases, the only remains we are able to recover are bones or bone fragments,’ said Butte County Sheriff Kory L Honea.
Final Thoughts
As much as we think we are prepared, there is little someone can do to prepare for a disaster which can destroy everything in its path. Whether it is a hurricane, wildfire, or tornado, sometimes the best survival option is to get out of the way and have good insurance.
After the area is decimated, the only thing left to do is rebuild, or relocate. After a devastating natural disaster a good number of people decide they have had enough and will move, which is understandable. Then again, relocating just means they will face a different type of disaster. Someone may leave the wildfire prone areas of California, only to face tornadoes, hurricanes, or blizzards somewhere else.
