We have, in the last month, taken a hit from BOTH Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. Two in a season is just about unheard-of much less two in two weeks. Hurricanes have three real phases to them for the people in their path: the anticipation and preparation, riding it out, and the aftermath. The aftermath is arguably the worst part. We are spoiled with things like electricity and water that storms often take out for days if not longer. This season, we are all aware that North Carolina and Tennessee took the worst of it. Meanwhile, the west coast of Florida, where we call home, has seen the waterfront areas decimated at a level we have not seen in a long time.
You know things are bad when World Central Kitchen sets up operations 20 minutes up the road.
We made it through and are back to the fullness of life and in that we are very lucky. I attached some pictures I took myself of the aftermath of both storms around Dunedin, Florida.
I grew up in Florida and have been back here for three years further now and I have never seen such supply shock. Police guarded and kept order at the few gas stations that had power and gas. Grocery shelves were empty. Docks, marinas and houses flooded and everyone piled up their furniture, flooring and drywall by the street for collection. But collection is slow to come because there is just so very much debris – as they call it. They are just things. They are replaceable. But I imagine it is hard to hear your carefully collected things called debris.
We were lucky to have no damage at our house, and a total of 11 days without power after the two storms (5 days after Helene and 6 days after Milton). It is a distracting way to live. You measure the horizon of your life according to the two days of food you can keep cold or the two days of fuel you have for the generator that is keeping a refrigerator running. If you are lucky enough to have a generator, you need to stop it and refuel it 2-3 times a day, IF you can find fuel for it. There is rampant uncertainty and I think that is the most stressful aspect: not knowing through the storm if your house will be OK, not knowing when you might get power back, not knowing for a day or so if your water is drinkable or if the sewer systems are working, not knowing if there is going to be fuel available for the generator or ice for the cooler.
It’s kind of like camping but in your own house. People are very generous and kind. On the first morning after the storm, neighbors gather in the street to assess the damage and make sure everyone is OK and has what they need. Those with generators hooked to refrigerators store food for those without refrigeration. Those with power offer sidewalk charging stations to those who need it. People pitch in with chainsaws to cut up the trees blocking their neighbors from getting out of their house. People help each other clean up, and look in on the elderly and infirm. Hurricane aftermath becomes bearable because of your neighbors. Everything you need is in your neighborhood somewhere – nurses, teachers, electricians, plumbers, babysitters, people with supplies willing to share, people willing to protect, and more. It is the combination of the centralized systems like the Florida emergency management department (major kudos on distributing food, water and ice) and the decentralized systems like everyday people around town and 50,000 lineman from all over the US, that ultimately make a recovery happen.
It was a total of three weeks from the preparation for the first storm until we got power back on from the second storm. And in those weeks, we were, as you might guess, as defiant as ever. We have a generator and along with the refrigerator we powered wi-fi and enough computer equipment to keep going on our business goals as best we could. When things are challenging, it is good to be busy. We managed in that time to make good progress on the new Geode portal makeover and cold contact over 1100 venture capital firms for our current VC round.
Zooming out, these storms have capped off one hell of an eventful year. In the last twelve months we have lost two parents and gained two hurricanes. I don’t know what the probability of that is, but it has got to be rare. On the bright side it has all made us aware that we have not had a vacation in three years. We could definitely use one.
Lastly, I think it is important to note that the west coast of Florida has now been through and somewhat recovered from TWO hurricanes while the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee are still suffering and still in survival mode. Wars rage around the world. Wildfires out west. There is just a lot of pain and grief happening in the world right now. Staying in peace and stillness is next to impossible. I have hard days too. But I can feel the joy coming and I am in gratitude for how the universe seems to protect and provide. Focusing on gratitude and moving forward in purpose is the most effective remedy I have found.
