By Simon Gonzalez
The Cape Fear region, the weather people were telling us early this week, was in Hurricane Matthew’s “cone of uncertainty.”
It might not be a technical term, but it’s a great, descriptive phrase. There’s so much that is uncertain about the path of a storm. Will it hit? Will it miss? Will it inflict major damage? As a friend pointed out, the Matthew projections are a good metaphor for life. “There’s no margin for error. It’s either going to wipe you off the map or you’ll be totally fine! We’ll have to wait and see!”
Not to make light of dangerous and deadly storms. In a previous job slot, I was a writer for an international Christian disaster-relief organization. I’ve seen the tremendous physical and emotional devastation wrought by hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes and tsunamis.
My heart breaks for people already afflicted by this storm as it wreaked havoc across the Caribbean, Jamaica, Haiti, Eastern Cuba and the Bahamas. As it draws a bead on Florida, it is almost certain to have an impact somewhere along the Eastern U.S. coastline. Even if it only brushes the Southeast Coast, Matthew will still be a hurricane bringing the possibility of flooding from the storm surge and heavy rains. Any wind will put trees at risk of toppling due to the already saturated ground.
One week away from the 62nd anniversary of the most devastating storm to hit this area, Hurricane Hazel, local officials are advising us to be ready. The Town of Wrightsville Beach’s hurricane-preparedness advice to residents includes knowing where to go in case an evacuation order is issued (the nearby Hampton Inn was full by 5 p.m. on Tuesday); stocking up on basic emergency items including bedding, clothing, emergency supplies, first-aid supplies, batteries, non-perishable food, tools and water (the nearby Harris Teeter and the new Publix were both out of water by the gallon and two-gallon containers by Tuesday); taking important family documents and information with you in case of evacuation; and protecting homes by covering windows with plywood or shutters. With overcast skies and a cool breeze, there was a steady stream of service trucks with ladders on top on the beach Tuesday as well as the bottled gas service trucks.
New Hanover County Emergency Management officials were encouraging folks to “review emergency plans, restock disaster supplies, and remain vigilant.” They suggested compiling a disaster supply kit that would include a flashlight, batteries, cash, first-aid supplies, copies of critical information, and adequate food and water for several days.
Gov. Pat McCrory prepared by preemptively issuing a state of emergency for 66 North Carolina counties, a move that helps get resources where they might be needed.
It’s good to be prepared — to weatherproof houses, assemble emergency kits and to have evacuation plans. Preparation only goes so far, though. Even the best-laid plans are going to be shredded if a major storm comes through.
Massive storms are a terrible reminder that we are really not in control. Our wealth, status, education, jobs are powerless in the face of natural disaster.
I’ll never forget being on the Gulf Coast in Biloxi, Mississippi, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and seeing concrete slabs where opulent masonry houses once stood. Or seeing cars thrown in ditches, on their sides and roofs, scattered like toys by the powerful wind and water.
I’ll never forget being in Joplin, Missouri, cresting a hill and seeing the swath of destruction caused by a catastrophic EF-5 tornado in 2011. Whole neighborhoods were wiped out, and more than 150 people were killed.
There was the earthquake in El Salvador, typhoon in the Philippines, tsunami in Indonesia — more reminders of not just the formidable destructive power of storms, but of the cone of uncertainty.
Storms, literal and metaphorical, can strike at any time. One day the skies are blue, the sun is shining, all is right with the world. The next, calamity. Just last week, a church friend with two young sons received a devastating cancer diagnosis. Another awful and sobering reminder that life is uncertain.
Governmental officials have it right. When disaster looms, an emergency plan is essential. Here’s the best one I’ve found, crafted by a man named Jesus a couple thousand of years ago:
“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.”
