[Source: www.theatlantic.com]
Just days after Hurricane Florence hit the Carolinas, Hurricane Michael made landfall near Mexico Beach, Florida on October 10 as a Category 4 hurricane. It is considered one of the strongest hurricanes of the season and has caused significant damage to Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Virginia, and the Carolinas. Officials ordered many residents to evacuate their homes and find shelter. After the hurricane swept through the coast with winds up to 155 mph, the damage was enormous.
Currently, millions of people affected by the hurricane are without electricity. This has caused many people to have trouble calling their loved ones to confirm if they have survived the hurricane. Residents have lost their homes and are staying in shelters. Some who returned to their homes in the aftermath came to discover their houses ripped apart by the hurricane. They found that their rooftops were gone, walls were torn, and furniture was all over the place. Some were able to retrieve some of their items and have gathered as many belongings as they can.
Thousands of residents are devastated that their homes are gone as many are saying that it was all they had left. People who did not evacuate could have been buried beneath piles of debris, wood, and concrete. Near the water, boats are stacked on top of each other with their strings tangled together. The most damage occurred in the town of Mexico Beach as it is where Hurricane Michael first made landfall. There are still rescue and recovery efforts to help residents and their pets who are stranded in their homes by the hurricane.
[Source: wgno.com]
Despite this crisis, many strangers are coming together as a community to help each other out and rebuild their homes. There is a distribution of food and water by the Federal Emergency Management Agency which brings people to work together to rebuild their lives. Some school districts are still closed until further notice for the safety of the students. Meanwhile, inmates in prisons affected by the hurricanes have been transferred to other facilities.
As the road to recovery has just begun, many are aware that it will be a long and difficult journey. In comparison to a few major hurricanes in 2017, many residents who were affected by Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Maria are still recovering to this day as they still have a long way ahead of them.
Regarding Hurricane Michael hitting Georgia, Emory University student Justin Kim has said, “Hurricane Michael has proven to be a devastating natural disaster that has inflicted a lot of damage across the eastern seaboard that especially includes Florida. The rising occurrence of devastating hurricanes such as Hurricane Michael show the effects of climate change. Hopefully, citizens will urge our leaders to pay attention to climate change as they start their journey on a long path to recovery from the hurricane.”
As the hurricane has now left significant damage, one can only hope that the road to recovery will not be as long as they think it will take.
Jennie Kim, Grade 11
Immaculate Heart High School
