Hurricane Ida’s Aftermath

On August 29th, 2021, the wind whistled as the storm rattled my windows. It was a terrifying sound; one I hope never to hear again. The rain came down in thick sheets, pounding on the roof and walls that surrounded me. The power had gone out earlier that day, so the only thing that lit the room was a small camping light I’d purchased the day before. I felt terrified, so I held my dog close to ensure her safety. Somehow, my dog and I got some sleep during the night.

When I brought my dog out the next morning, I couldn’t help noticing how quiet and still everything was. I’ve experienced nothing like it before, but everything was silent in a way that I can’t explain. The neighborhood felt empty, even though I knew it wasn’t. It was still dark outside, darker than it usually was at 6 a.m. since the power had gone out long before the storm hit. I couldn’t see the full scope of the damage caused by the storm, but two trees had fallen in my backyard. One of them took part of the fence with it, and the other smashed into the small shed.

When the sun came up, I quickly noticed that it was hotter inside than it was outside. We were under a heat advisory with a real feel of over one hundred. Sweat covered every inch of my body as if it were a second skin. I had purchased some battery-operated tent fans before the storm, but they couldn’t keep up with the amount of heat.

It was miserable, and I had nothing to take my mind off the heat. I wanted to sleep through the power outage, but I was only averaging about four hours of sleep because of the heat. Not even a cold shower could offer refuge from the heat because I started sweating as soon as I turned the water off. I felt disgusting because of all the sweat, and there was nothing I could do about it.

My cell phone was my only connection to the outside world, but I had no means to charge it. I didn’t have a power bank that fit it or a solar-powered phone charger, so I limited myself to using my cell phone once a day. Those daily check-ins were the thing I looked forward to most. I wanted to know how my family, friends, and coworkers were doing.

My coworkers started a group chat where they checked on each other and gave updates on what was going on around them. We shared information about which stores were open and what survival items they had. One of my coworkers even warned us about people pulling guns on each other at the gas station.

Speaking of gas, I hadn’t been able to get gas before the storm, so I only had a half tank left. I decided to avoid gas stations until the gas is more readily available because I don’t want to get shot or robbed. I’ve been trying to limit the number of places that I go to save gas, but I needed to venture out to get supplies.

Shopping is different now. While you’re allowed to enter stores like Wal-Mart, stores like Home Depot make you line up outside while they limit the number of people allowed inside. Some stores even have an associate lead you right to the items you need before bringing you to the register. This is likely to stop fights from breaking out over supplies like generators. I still got some batteries and a car charger, and a kind man at Verizon Wireless charged my phone for me.

Since I couldn’t use my phone, my Fitbit was the only method I had for keeping up with the time. I didn’t have a good reason for wanting to know the time, other than routine. I no longer had a routine because of the storm, and it was negatively affecting my mental health. My hair fell out at an alarming rate. I struggled to focus. Ida had filled my days with hours of endless boredom.

Since the storm, I haven’t been to work and am not sure when my work plans to reopen. Not having a source of income is stressful, especially since I’ve spent so much money on the storm (water, ice, car charger, fans, batteries, etc.). I’ve applied for disaster unemployment, but I’m unsure if I will get it, and it’s not enough to cover all my bills.

It may not sound like it, but I was one of the lucky ones. Although I faced (and am still facing) hardships because of the storm, all my friends and loved ones are safe.

Originally Published On Medium