The Absent Uncle: Oh, Mother Nature

As I perused the weather reports this morning that confirmed that the current tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico – soon to become a very strong Hurricane Helene – was definitely turning away from the Texas coast and heading straight for northern Florida. I reminded myself that Mother Nature has a reminder for everyone wherever I’ve lived about ultimately who is in charge.

Coming from Minnesota, I was very aware of the bitter cold, of blizzards, and snow drifts as high as rooftops. To say nothing about the hot humid late summers – plus mosquitoes the size of sparrows. 

California from north to south had occasional torrential rains, the more common droughts, strong Santa Ana winds that feed into the devastating forest fires, and oh yes – the earthquakes that leave you all shook up.

Kansas could be hot and dusty, has the nickname of ‘Tornado Alley,’ has its share of heat and humidity, and then the ice storms that break anything not strong enough to hold a half inch of ice in the wind. Electric supply lines and trees really take a beating and create havoc as they snap. 

We moved to the Houston area almost 6six years ago and up until Hurricane Beryl earlier this year, we had not been treated to what the Gulf of Mexico can serve up.

I think the worst part of the hurricane experience is the advance warning. You can see it coming for at least a couple of days. Gathering strength as you prepare your property, yourself, and second guess over and over if you have done everything you can to be ready. 

For the most part, all the other major occurrences come with little or no warning, maybe an overnight forecast or warning, but that is pretty much all you are going to get.

But a hurricane gets measured, tracked, timed, and leaves no doubt about what is about to happen to its targeted area. 100-plus MPH winds, heavy rain, storm surge, and the subsequent flooding from all that water. 

By the time this column appears in the Brandon Valley Journal, it will be history and the massive clean-up, the rebuild or not rebuild decisions will be starting to be made, and Mother Nature will once again forcefully remind us again about who is in charge.