Have you ever heard the saying, “never underestimate the power of a woman”? Well, in other words, you better recognize how much power a woman has to destroy everything in her path without even thinking twice. When a woman is fueled up by rage, she can cause disasters that will never be forgotten.
In September of 2017, two category 5 hurricanes, Irma and Maria, with female names came with the utmost rage that no one could have imagined. They came through and devastated many islands in the Caribbean that were nowhere near ready for such rage and force. Among the islands in their path were Dominica, Guadeloupe, Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, St. Barths, St. Maarten, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Turks and Caicos, and others. However, some of these islands suffered more destruction than others. Total devastation, which means almost everything in Irma and Maria’s path was wiped out, but many lives were saved, and a few were lost in a blink of the eye.
Can you imagine waking up to no roof on your house, windows shattered, trees on top of your car, and walking in flood waters up to your chest? In addition, some people lost their loved ones, food, electricity, fresh water, businesses, the resources that built their economy and much more. It was impossible for them to avoid their new norm resulting from the aftermath of Hurricane Irma and Maria. Above all, they were blessed with another day to speak of the “horrific” experience. An experience described as frightening and terrorizing. Survivors of the 2 major hurricanes said the wind was so strong and the sounds were like it had “monsters” or “little demons” rattling the doors, smashing windows and wrecking almost everything in sight.
Some people in other places may say “of course I’ve been through similar disasters”.
And yes, I’m sure it was a horrific time in your life to question why God allowed this to happen. But, why question God? Who said it was God that did this? We don’t have an answer as to why nature acts out the way it does. All we know is that we’re not in control of how bad its rage will impact our lives. The most we can do is take precautions and live respectfully. Things like this happen in a blink of an eye. Whether it’s a dangerous hurricane, tornado or strong earthquake, nature doesn’t care how important “you think” you are on Earth. You will still experience its rage whether you are prepared or not.
So what do you do after nature has made its mark?
Irma and Maria left many people on these islands homeless, helpless, and even lifeless. These hurricanes changed the residents of these islands normal way of living and shredded it to pieces in a blink of an eye. The devastation was so great that even the lives of those who have connections or once lived in the Caribbean have been affected by the aftermath. It brought many people to tears and a sense of discomfort.
It also brought people together; in other parts of the world concerned families and friends of the victims made donations and raised funds to send to the affected islands. Military groups from countries in Europe, the United States and neighboring islands traveled by sea and helicopters flew into these islands to deliver food and water. Most airports were inaccessible from the damaged caused by the hurricanes.
The beautiful Nature Isle of the Caribbean, Dominica, which is the birthplace of many of my family members, lost it’s vibrancy after Hurricane Maria passed through on September 19th, 2017. An island that was filled with luster reflecting from its beautiful mountains that were covered by rainforest. Within those rainforests was a world of inner beauty surrounding Dominica, which includes exotic flowers, rivers, waterfalls, volcanic structures, banana trees, coconut trees, fresh fruits and vegetation, rich soil and so much more. Its untouched beauty made it an attraction and a source of appreciation for those who visited there and live there.
St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John are 3 beautiful islands that make up the U.S. Virgin Islands. These islands attract tourists all year round and boast beautiful scenery and turquoise beautiful beaches. They too were impacted by the wrath of Hurricane Irma and Maria. St. Thomas-my previous home for 12 years- had piles of debris and flooded areas preventing some people from reaching out to their friends and loved ones. In addition to excessive debris and flooding, disrupted cell phone networks, and no electricity was a common situation affecting most of the affected islands.
Appreciate life’s blessings every day…it’s not guaranteed forever
Writing this post gave me a moment to reflect on the beauty of the many islands in the Caribbean. After the devastation caused by those ferocious hurricanes, I saw many ignorant comments online from people. These comments were made by people who obviously have never traveled- referencing the islands as if they are irrelevant “tiny dots” on the map that they had never heard of.
It’s fair enough to say that there’s more to the world than you can even imagine. Those “tiny dots” on the map have beauty, vibrancy, culture, history, and best of all people who are blessed with strength, hope and a chance to give thanks for life after surviving an unimaginable experience. It’s significant for them and many of us to acknowledge our blessings and enjoy the moments that are most enjoyable in life. After all, what you may consider a normal and comfortable life today, can be changed in a blink of the eye.
