I’ve told myself I’d retire from the discussion of natural disasters here, because the scope is far beyond a modest cartoon blog. Hurricanes in particular became fodder here, you will recall, only because I happened to have had personal experience with Katrina. However, because of that experience, I have been struck by one thing: so many of the Caribbean islands and the Florida Keys are virtually denuded of leafy foliage in the wake of Irma. One might be tempted to think, “Well, at least that will grow back.” One could be forgiven for assuming palms and coastal live oaks are naturally adapted to a capricious environment and have an abnormally hardy capacity to rebound. Not necessarily. Many of the trees stripped by wind and by storm surge will never recover. They are dead. Not a good thing in the tropical sun.
79 responses to “Command and Control”
This reminded me of the tree sculptures in Pass Christian. Beautiful and sad.
My kids did extended medical missionary work in Haiti. Haiti is apparently denuded and treeless.
Ice storms do that in Oklahoma. Dead trees. Well, tornadoes too. Limbless leafless tree trunks.
Haiti has been practically treeless for decades, and it’s all caused by people. The proof is the fact that the Dominican Republic has lots of trees, with forests going right up to the border.
My coastal SC friends are back home from their retreat to St. Louis, MO, and consider themselves much more than lucky. The causeway – only entry to their island – is back open, their home had only a small roof leak next to a chimney, the groundspeople had already removed all branches & debris, and their lawn was newly mown! The nearest water [a river inlet], which is in their backyard, did rise, but just short of enough to enter the lowest level. Having seen the flatness of the place, I’d say they missed by only a foot or so.
I cannot speak for all the other island residents; hope they did as well or better. The island is really a beautiful place, but really, really low in altitude.
Thanks for posting on Twitter when you have a new post.
Don’t forget all poor folks in South Texas that are still trying to dig out (literally) from the flooding Harvey brought. My church is sending as many as are able to go down to a small town to help whoever needs it for the next few weekends. Shoveling mud out of houses and cutting sheetrock. As I undersatnd it you only have about 30 days to save the structure. If you wait too long mold and rot take over and it is bulldozer time. If I wasn’t so busted up I’d be going too. All I could provide was some mosquito netting and a few supplies. Getting old sucks.
Dennis, you’re right about getting old. Having an irregular heartbeat is no picnic either.
One bit of advice from a friend in Houston: Snow shovels are great for getting muck out of buildings!
From MN public radio.
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2017/09/17/flyover-the-myth-of-a-bootstraps-america
Thought this was going to be pictures of Harvey devastation. Apparently, ‘Flyover’ is a blog. There’s a place for comments at the bottom.
Peace,
Tomorrow is our three week anniversary of being flood refugees. Finally able to get into our house on Monday. Water line measured five feet on the interior. First floor and both cars are lost. Cleanup team has completely stripped first floor to bare studs and concrete. Saturday brings us a church to help clean what we could salvage. Sunday brings packers and Monday movers to the second floor. Next week is car shopping.
On the positive side.
Both the community and groups from across the country have joined in helping Houston. The media may portray the country as divided, we see it as united and full of brotherly love. On August 26 I was planning to go over to the church to volunteer, the next morning we were the one’s depending on volunteers.
A friend sent me an email expressing their sorrow, but also mentioning she was not worried, as she knows I am a survivor.
Forward!!
Rick in Shermantown, Ohio — the instant coffee you mentioned, that’s so good — can you tell us what to look for on the label? I’d like to try it, and there is a store less than two miles from my house. Seems like a good place.
Sometimes telling dispatch what you see results in other cops questioning your vision/sanity/sobriety…
http://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/deputies-wrangle-a-kangaroo-in-somers/article_b22322ac-7fd0-5589-bd3f-88760d073e71.html
TMFKa sandcastler™:
Amen, bro. To all of that.
I have to keep reminding myself that this is only the half-way point of the hurricane season. Irma’s eye passed about two miles west of me. Only lost a fence this time.
Got power back Wednesday evening. Walking around in the dark I stumbled over
something and hit my head on the floor. Say a few light flashes when I hit. Still have a sore spot on the back of my head.
Didn’t lose much, but had to get rid of my poke weed when I cleaned the freezer.
I don’t get today’s [Sat. 16 Sept.] ‘Herman.’
http://www.gocomics.com/herman
I think he’s poking fun at the awards shows…Oscar, Emmy, etc… acceptance speeches have gotten full of “thank you” to everyone the winner knows.
Hang in there sandcastler. You’re right, most folks are good. 5 feet? YIKES.
Charlotte in NH:
Glad to help.
The Aldi in my town sells Beaumont Coffee Instant Classic Roast.
The label also says that it is 100% pure coffee and that it does not have preservatives and artificial flavors or colors.
I agree with Llee, he’s mocking awards shows… or maybe the guy had fish for lunch during an emergency?
I agree with Llee.
Ghost and I have found some of my friends to help eat the ten pounds of sushi we made last night. Then I looked on the net and identified two more kinds I had made when I lived in Hawaii, along with some in little cones.
Mark: So do I. Just haven’t watched the right [or any] TV shows. Too many better ways to waste time.
Peace,
We STILL have three boxes of sushi left! And my friend brought reinforcements in form of three soccer playing boys who ate sushi and a librarian!
And before anyone asks, the three boys did NOT eat a librarian with their sushi. 🙂
Jackie pleads fatigue, but will not allow me to say why. 😀
I forgot to mention that we ate at Pho Lien Hoa restaurant in OKC a week or so ago when we attended a funeral. I had their pho tai nam, which was excellent. Long ago I decided to master the use of chop sticks for Asian food, and now I can even pick up individual rice grains and eat noodles with them. I especially enjoy doing that at Vietnamese places because, as I did in OKC, I enjoy watching elderly Vietnamese people looking just as silly as I do eating noodles with chopsticks.
Oh, and the maki sushi and nigiri we made last night was obviously a great hit with the boys and their two soccer moms.
GE Debbe & Mizz Charlotte
GM after midnight! 🙂