Series: North Carolina Still NEEDS HELP
I’ve chosen not to write about North Carolina the past few months, not necessarily voluntarily but because of different factors in my own life.
I’d been writing about surviving Hurricane Debby and sharing stories from it in August 2024 when grade school was starting back and I was onboarding for a new job. There was a lot going on and September didn’t give us any breaks.
Being in North Florida when Hurricane Helene came through, we were safe, but experienced power outages for close to a week and stayed with others who were living off generator-power. As such, the power was off and on, so with no alternative, I couldn’t even write about Helene if I wanted to.
But honestly, I had so much going on, I wasn’t even keeping up with the news very well, I was just hearing rumors of the devastation in NC and quite frankly, I didn’t want to see any of it, but once I did I was still shocked.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about being a journalist so far, it’s the difficulty of seeing constant destruction and devastation and yes, it takes a toll on one’s emotions.
It hit especially hard since I’ve visited there several times in the past couple of years for the very purpose of documenting off-grid communities and putting light survival skills. I had considered moving there for the same reason.
I felt guilty, like I hadn’t warned everyone in time and I felt guilty that I wasn’t in any better position to do anything to help.
It also hurt that I couldn’t be there to get the stories that really would have amplified the voice of the journal, specifically stories of rebuilding after chaos that might help future people in other times and places.
So many were claiming the media and government weren’t doing them justice, but I had to find solace in the fact that there were so many other people who were covering it: local journals, locals themselves and advocates from around the country. It was amazing to see to love, care and organization taking place on the ground despite the difficult circumstances.
Meanwhile, still recovering, we braced for Hurricane Milton as Florida governor DeSantis warned the majority of the state to “Leave or die.” Even though Florida is used to severe hurricanes to the point that we have normalized “hurricane parties” Ref, everyone shared a new level of being scared and shaken after seeing what happened in North Carolina and due to the fact that many in Florida were still waiting for debris pickup from the last hurricane.
35 counties were in a “State of Emergency” with 15 on mandatory evacuation orders (around 7 million people). A nightmare for a state still recovering from previous hurricanes.
Leave or die: Florida residents warned to flee Hurricane Milton
Man Straps Down His Home as Milton Arrives in Florida
Thankfully, it wasn’t as bad as it showed itself to be, but still caused major losses. The governor was criticized the for fear-mongering, but I respect his appropriation in giving everyone the best possible chance to take it seriously. The death toll released from Milton in Florida was less than 50, but totaled around 400 from all affected areas.
And if all that wasn’t enough, we, along with others in our community dealt with several outbreaks of “Super lice.” Ref2 found in our kids hair and battled seasonal illnesses.
Sometimes I feel my life only consists of packing, unpacking, stocking or restocking, washing and disinfecting… but after seeing how bad some have it, I count it a blessing only losing the food the in my freezer and a few days of work.
Still, I had to stop to breathe… There was just no other choice for me if I didn’t want to get so completely burnt out that I quit the journal altogether. And I think this was an important lesson to learn early on…
No matter how bad I want to cover a story, sometimes it’s just not going to be possible. I’m only one person and I have to balance all priorities in my life, including my own health and sanity.
I’m happy that hurricane season is over (I think) and that I’m able to have some normalcy and get back to writing and developing the journal. I hope you enjoy the articles to come!
Sincerely,
iam:ForeverBlessed
Hurricane headlines of 2024 in the Palm Beaches, Treasure Coast
Hurricane Milton Evacuation CHAOS Gas Lines, Last Minute Scramble!
Hurricane Milton Storm Surge Slams Small Towns As Tampa is Spared
Should You Still Move to Florida After the 2024 Hurricanes? (no affiliation)
Angle & Perspective 
What’s your angle and perspective?