Gratitude, Humility, and Empathy in the Aftermath of Hurricanes Ian & Irma

Sohkor Solanke

Hurricane Ian, 2022 A few weeks back, my state of residence- Florida- endured yet another hurricane: Ian. Although initially projected to be in the line of fire, Tampa Bay was eventually spared from a direct hit. My household lost power for a day, and twigs and branches carpeted the streets in the aftermath of the storm brushing past us. As the storm’s predicted track continued to shift southward, one can only hope that those in its eventual path had the opportunity to leave, if they so wished. I have heard from friends, however, that for many, the storm shifted too late for them to evacuate. Our Neighbors from Sarasota Southward (including Cuba) bore the brunt of Ian’s wrath, and many of them are still trying to recover. For some, the road will be a lengthy one. The images from the Ft Myers and Naples areas are overwhelming. Where does one even begin to start over when one has lost everything? What about those who also lost loved ones? Those to the East of us in the Orlando area also suffered some devastating flooding. Driving through the streets of Orlando in the days following the storm, the sight of families bringing out all the furniture in their single-story flooded homes illuminated the harsh reality for those in the storm’s line of fire: Everything had been ruined by the water and was now only good for the garbage.

As my power was restored, and I was able to see the damage left behind by Ian in Cuba and South-West Florida, I was reminded of the time Irma chose to grace us with her presence in 2017, giving some of us an exercise in gratitude, humility, and empathy.

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Hurricane Irma, 2017 “Day three of no electricity. As the food in my freezer continues to spoil, I am reminded of how spoilt we are in this nation and how we take so much for granted.

I was in Sierra-Leone for 10 days a few years ago, and for most of the time I was there we didn’t have electricity. What was an inconvenience for me was the norm for most of my fellow Sierra-Leoneans, many of whom couldn’t afford the luxury of a generator when the lights went off, as they frequently did. And yet, they lived their lives. The experience was humbling and I reflect back to that now as my community lives through the aftermath of Irma.

Yes, my local power company has not restored my power yet, but do I really have the right to complain? Irma’s devastating effects on my brothers and sisters in the Caribbean have not been lost on me. Many have lost homes: some have lost their lives. The aerial images of devastation over entire communities in some of these islands are overwhelming and heart-wrenching. Irma wreaked havoc in places like Haiti that really couldn’t afford to take another hit. The post-Irma stories of looting and anarchy in places like St Martin are beyond disturbing and require immediate prayer and swift government action. Although Irma was very kind to many of us in Florida, there are still others in our community who are wading through thigh-high streams that used to be streets and bailing water out of their homes. Trees have crashed through roofs, and as we see the pictures, we can only hope that no one was inside. Those in the Keys and the South-Western part of our state bore the brunt of the storm, and our prayer is that most of our coastal residents evacuated to safety before their homes were ripped apart.

And I am again reminded of my beloved people of Freetown, Sierra-Leone, another place that couldn’t afford another hit, and yet, they took one on the chin a few weeks ago when mudslides decimated an entire community in the middle of the night. No advanced warnings here. No time to run to a shelter or buy supplies. Entire lives were wiped out, and scores of people, many of whom had very little to start with, were left with even less.

The result of Irma is similar to that of Harvey and the Sierra-Leonean mudslides: many have lost everything and will need help starting over. Some have the comfort of insurance, but for others insurance is a luxury of the wealthy and middle class. Even still, we all have precious items in our homes that can never be replaced with insurance money or FEMA emergency funding.

The power will eventually come back on in my neighborhood, gas stations and stores will be restocked, schools will reopen, and life will very quickly return to normalcy for most people. While we complain about the inconvenience of having no electricity for a few days, let’s remember those in Florida, the Caribbean, Texas, and Freetown, Sierra-Leone whose lives require much more than the flick of a switch to return to normalcy. And as we remember, let’s pray for them and give however we can to help our brothers and sisters.”