Riding on the Tail of Hurricane Michael
October 10, 2018—a day that none of us living in the Florida Panhandle would ever forget. It was the day that Hurricane Michael, a Category 5 and fourth-strongest hurricane to make landfall in the contiguous United States, hit Mexico Beach, our small beach town. Our town was the epicenter, and everything within a two-hour radius had been hit hard by Hurricane Michael.
We watched from our budget hotel in Alabama, and it was filled with other lucky evacuees and their families and pets. We had been able to evacuate and find a place that would take us in while we rode out the hurricane from a distance. Out of 1,600 homes, about 250 remained in livable condition.
It took weeks to get utilities restored and access to the area. Brave individuals went in as soon as they could with chainsaws and tools to start helping with clearing roadways, removing trees, and attempting to combat the black mold that would take over many homes.
Months followed as people fought insurance companies and searched for safe housing. Workers were in short supply. Everyone was cleaning up and rebuilding on their own to preserve what was left.
It was complete devastation. I had a five-month-old baby when the hurricane hit. Months later, when our alternative lodging was up, we moved back into the disaster zone.
We were lucky. Our house was clear of contaminates and repairs were in the works. But what was around us was shocking. Homes had been separated from their foundation, blown apart and away, or washed into the sea. Community members lost homes, businesses, and family members and friends.
We live in a tightly knit community. We started to form trauma bonds with those around us. A trauma bond is a connection formed through shared adversity, which, in our case, was the hurricane.
The community and surrounding areas came together. In caring ways, everyone held and supported each other. Neighbors helped each other cover rooftops, organize donations, and reach out to one another. It was a touching time to see people coming together.
I would spend months walking up and down our town’s streets and beaches. I saw abandoned, broken homes crumble and melt in the humidity as time went by without enough workers to tend to them. I talked to community members and heard their stories. Some who stayed and rode out the hurricane were nearly beyond belief!
Our world is becoming increasingly aware of the power and impact of natural disasters. The cycle of trauma, recovery, and rebuilding take years and years for communities to complete. The importance of learning ways to reset our nervous systems and to reboot while discharging stress and trauma is more important than ever right now. I teach these skills and more in my coaching sessions and customized retreats. Check out the Individual Sessions and Retreat tabs for more information.