Photo from The State
As a resident of the southeastern United States, I was within impact of the almighty Hurricane Helene.
Seldom a word said about this tropical cyclone beforehand. Just another typical storm, perhaps it will last measly hours. This is not an unusual perspective from a southerner, as Atlantic storms happen incredibly often, and it seems to rain around here at least 300 days out of the year. I have an abundance of childhood memories of being graced with weeks off from school due to potential dangerous circumstances, hardly ever coming to light aside from strong winds and days of rain.
But Helene was different. Beware of the Hs.
A sudden shift in direction; a quick and swift rise to power and Mother Earth’s imitation of Sherman’s March to the Sea. A death toll slowly rising; an epic financial disaster; mass, arborical casualties and homes completely leveled . . .
For South Carolina, this has been the deadliest storm since the infamous 1989 Hurricane Hugo. Places like Atlanta, and more-so Asheville and its surrounding areas are completely inundated. Some of my childhood travel sports are wiped from the face of the planet as if Genesis’ Great Flooding decided to take it one step at a time.
Photo from The Independent
Luckily for myself, my area suffered a massive punch to the face for only a day. Several houses in my neighborhood are ruined, and large trees have tumbled through fences and homes and streets. The power had been out for two to three days, as part of the incredible 4.5 million power outage metric. My town, typically aglow like a parade of giant fireflies, had been completely engulfed in darkness. The traffic lights were off, restaurants and retailers were all closed . . . an instant shortage of meats and gasoline and ice was due to the brisk onslaught of mass apocalyptic mentality, paired with failing refrigeration.
For me, in the grand scheme of things, the outcome was not so bad. I mean . . . a power outage for only two days? I can find protein sources outside of chicken and beef. Also, my house and vehicle are perfectly okay. My life has not been upheaved.
But this is not the case for a lot of people. Some others lost their livelihoods . . . and their life. The death toll has hit over 60 thus far.
Just from simple observations in my area, plant life is scattered like carnage and people are constantly praying to Dominion Energy–like angels in the flesh–to receive light and air-conditioning. It remains hot like Hell here. The other night we hid in the basement at the alarms of tornado warnings, but fortunately nothing came to fruition (although it certainly sounded like a tornado was happening outside). Well, overall, it was certainly a dent in my otherwise boring week.
And who knows? There are eight identifiable hurricanes in the Atlantic within 2024. More is to come. With the warming waters and extended summers . . . we must be prepared.
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The Tower Arcana is a signifier for disruption. We must brace ourselves for uncertainties and sudden changes within our lives.
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Blue Mushroom 