The Spirit of Ma'at — September, 2011 — Emergency Preparedness: Hurricane Irene

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Emergency Preparedness: Hurricane Irene

By Phoenix Rising Star

When I began receiving information from the angels about preparing for any type of emergency, I didn't expect to experience a hurricane.

I live in the desert.

Our challenge is having enough potable water.

I had stockpiled food and other supplies at home, in anticipation of long term preparedness.

It simply hadn't occurred to me that the emergencies I was to be a part of would be away from home.

Away from my stockpiles.

Which meant having to be aware and thinking on my feet even more.

I had written the article on Emergency Preparedness. I had written the next article on Food without Fear, discussing what kind of food would be best for long term survival. I was preparing another article on homeopathic remedies and essential oils, but hadn't written it yet.

We were traveling in the Northeast, combining teaching in New York with connecting with family and friends, camping in the White Mountains of New Hampshire when the earthquake rumbled through Virginia and beyond.

We didn't feel a thing.

It was as we got to our final destination near Albany, New York, that we started to have some concern.

We were receiving many phone calls and emails from people asking if we would be safe from the hurricane.

We hadn't been online other than sporadically so we weren't really aware of the threat.

We looked at the weather map and forecast and figured the worst was going to hit our area on the second day of our planned workshop.

We are not used to hurricanes. We are used to heat and water deprivation. This was water drenching, with potential floods, damage from high winds that included possible power outages, potential everything. In anticipation of disaster, the state of New York was locking down, evacuating people from Manhattan, closing mass transit systems, and stockpiling food, water, and emergency supplies.

"What did you do to bring this on?" Our sponsor asked me. "I know that if this level of stuff is happening, you've done something to create it."

I was a bit nonplussed.

I didn't think I could take credit for the hurricane.

But I could take credit for the opportunity to live preparedness firsthand.

I believe this is one of the things the angels were preparing me for.

I just didn't know it at the time.

Now I was faced with practicing what I was preaching. Or what the angels were preaching.

Readying myself for a short term emergency.

Or a long term one.

Although we had plans to fly back home two days after Hurricane Irene was scheduled to hit New York.

We would have to see about that.

We shortened the class, which allowed for those traveling to arrive home safely.

Sunday, the rain began around 5AM. Nice steady rain, no wind.

Within an hour and a half, just as forecasted, the winds were starting to pick up.

I had my emergency pack ready to go if we needed to leave the house.

Some clothes, my laptop, purse, food and water. We were traveling light, so there wasn't much to pack.

The house we were staying in had a well, so we filled containers with water the night before, in anticipation of a power outage.

There really wasn't much else I could do.

I kept having the recurring thought, "What if I were to die tomorrow? Would I have any regrets? Would I feel good about my life.? Have I lived and done everything I planned when my soul created this life?"

Honestly, I would have no regrets.

Except I never called my sister back when I had cell coverage. Now, here I was, in the Adirondacks, with no internet, no cell coverage, no communication. That was one regret.

But honestly, my life has been wonderful. Now I'm glad I ate all the ice cream I did.

I'm so grateful for my loving family and friends, and the angels!

As I watched the trees begin to whip around with the increasing winds, I chose to stay in my heart, visualizing a peaceful outcome for all concerned, for everyone's highest good and healing. Whatever that may be.

At 10AM the power went out. The winds were moving things sideways. Trees, bird feeders, rain......

I've been in a blizzard before. This was similar. But warm.

At noon, we congregated at a neighbor's to cook omelets over a gas stove. Someone uncorked wine. The storm, even though now downgraded to a tropical storm was intense. It was hard not to look out the window and continually watch. Huge amounts of rain steadily poured out of the sky. Tree branches dropped occasionally, none seriously threatening us. Birds were having a hard time staying dry and centered. We watched their confusion as they would attempt to fly, get soaking wet without moving very far, and finally land on the covered porch in an attempt to stay dry.

The day wore on, and we learned to just be with it. There was nothing we could do to change the situation. And there was nothing we could do. Just be.

As the storm moved away from us that evening, the power was still off. We trooped down to a nearby restaurant that had a running generator. People shared some stories, but we really didn't know anything at that time.

As we left the next day, the power was still off and it was uncertain when it would return. The power companies were starting to say hopefully in a few weeks.

Now that's emergency preparedness: living without power for a few weeks!

The neighbors had supplies of kerosene and propane.

But the food in their refrigerators and freezers was now spoiled, having gone more than four hours without power.

Everything would have to be thrown away.

I cringed at the waste.

As we attempted to drive the three hundred miles to our next destination, I learned a few more things about emergencies.

1-With storms like hurricanes, where there is plenty of advanced notice, always keep a full tank of gas. We had planned to gas up on our way out of the area. With the power out, it was tricky to find a gas station that could pump gas. And a full tank would get us farther than a half tank.

2-I'd already known to have a supply of emergency money. My problem was we were at the end of our trip, and our cash reserves were low. I was relying on my credit card for what was left to pay for. What we found was that in outlying areas, with the power out, the credit card machines don't work.

Note to self: keep an emergency stash of cash that you don't touch, no matter what.

3-We were in an unfamiliar territory and fortunately had maps and a road atlas.

We used these over and over again as we were forced to turn around due to road closures. Roads were closed for a variety of reasons: bridges were washed out, roads were washed out or flooded, trees were down, power lines were down.

Note to self: keep maps handy in the car at all times.

4-If possible, listen to the radio, call ahead to determine road availability, or check online for road closures. This may save you time and gas.

Note to self: get one of those solar radios! Or at least a hand-crank one.

5-Stick to main roads wherever possible. We found many of the secondary roads closed, sometimes without warning, causing more backtracking.

6-Keep an emergency supply of snacks and water in the car. One less thing to think about as you leave.

7-Even if you don't know how long the power will be out, if you are without power in your area and want to save your food, get ice as soon as possible. A fifty pound block of ice may save your freezer full of food.

While knowing some preparedness tips ahead of time and learning others on the fly saved us some worry and potential hardship, we did not suffer severe damage, hardship, or distress like many people.

We were leaving the area.

We had it easy.

The ones left behind, trying to clean up damage, get to their jobs, pull their lives together...these are the people who are challenged.

In all, even knowing and preparing ahead of time doesn't prepare one for the aftermath. The clean up. The heartache. The loss. The suffering.

But hopefully, the emergency preparation and awareness can take the edge off. Make things a bit easier. Create a small measure of comfort in the darkness.

Our hearts go out to all those affected. May the wind be forever at your back and the water within its banks.

In loving service,
Phoenix Rising Star

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About Phoenix Rising Star

Phoenix Rising Star