Those of us who suffered through Hurricane Ivan a decade ago remember the days after vividly.
I have heard some declare those days as remarkable in the sense of bonding neighborhoods together, bringing out courage, integrity and pride, while others reminisce with an indescribable sense of loss being they lost their home, property, and resources.
Statistics from US Department of Homeland Security said more than $164 million in FEMA grants was given to 79,390 applicants through Individuals and Households Program for lodging expenses, rental assistance, minor home repairs and other needed assistance. More than $695 million was given for emergency protective measures, or for the repair or replacement of public infrastructure and public utilities.
While those numbers may reflect the help coming to Santa Rosans after a storm, I remember Ivan and those days following with a sense of pride of the people I know and love. I remember digging through the sludge at my sister-in-law’s home with our family, trying to find her clothes, and later hand scrubbing blue jeans in a metal tub and hanging them on the clothesline.
I remember my father-in-law setting up a washing machine on his back porch, hooked to a generator to help with washing my sister and brother in-law’s clothing. I remember finding personal mementoes from families whom we didn’t know, who lived several blocks away, in her yard. I remember celebrating and crying tears of joy when I heard they found her wedding gown packed underneath her house.
I remember receiving package after package of clothing donations from out of town family and friends, rummaging through them to find what’s useful. My family and I organized the items of what our family couldn’t use and drove through heavily flood damaged neighborhoods to give them away to people who needed help.
Driving through muddy streets, my girls and I tried to find those who were willing to take a box to distribute and the appreciation and seeing relief on their faces. Within a short period of time we gave it all away.
I remember walking into what was a beautiful two story home and seeing the family sitting inside of what remained, which was a frame of a house without walls, but still offering what food they had for hospitality’s sake. I remember my first taste of an MRE (Meals Ready to Eat), sitting in line for ice inside my car, listening to local radio to find out important information regarding nightly curfews and which gas stations were up next for gas delivery.
I remember walking outside my door and hearing the hum of electric generators in our neighborhood, and sharing food from our freezer with whomever needed it at the time. I remember sitting around the dark dinner table with our extended family, giving thanks and planning who to help the next day.
I remember hearing the shouts of joy as each house in our neighborhood had power turned on and then immediately thinking, for just a moment, how peaceful it had seemed without it and blowing out the candle in my hand when our own electricity was restored.
Hurricane Ivan divided time for our family. We would make statements with reference of “before Ivan,” and “after Ivan,” for many years after and it still, to this day, stays there in my mind.
God’s Word said all things work together for the good of those called according to His purpose. I’m not saying a hurricane is from God. I’m saying sometimes those struggles bring out the best in people.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Ivan revisited