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Hurricane Milton is currently poised to slam into the western side of Florida in a matter of hours. It will be one of the strongest hurricanes to ever make landfall in the United States, putting the lives of many millions at risk.
President Biden had led an extraordinary operation by the federal government to prepare, as best it can, for the destruction and aftermath of Milton, less than two weeks after Helene tore through several states, devastating those regions.
And yet, we all know what’s about to occur in Florida will be far beyond any suffering the vast majority of us could imagine — and that it will occur in the United States again in the future. And again. And again.
A few years ago, I watched "Five Days at Memorial" on Apple TV, a miniseries about the days at Memorial Medical Center in New Orleans following Katrina, based on the book by Sheri Fink.
I immediately regretted watching it. Sometimes, I wish I hadn't. I don't think "brutal" comes close to adequately describing it.
I will never watch it again. Once was more than enough. Honestly, I’m not sure how I managed to finish it.
It's probably the single most haunting show I've ever seen — so painful to watch that I decided, at the time, that it may be wrong of me to tell others to watch it.
Since then, I've often thought it might be the most persuasive and compelling argument for addressing climate change.
Forgive me for saying this, but maybe melting glaciers and increasingly hot summer days and wet bulb temperature and Al Gore’s genuinely brilliant PowerPoint may not be enough to reach those who are too stubborn and too incurious to recognize that climate change is caused by human beings.
But what happens when the social framework breaks down, for any number of reasons, and innocent people are forced to navigate the consequences?
What happens when people are forced to realize that even the most powerful country on earth cannot possibly stop a hurricane and they may someday find themselves, suddenly and unexpectedly, starving and dehydrating in flooded rubble, with no hope of being saved?
Right now, we have a president who's dedicating himself to helping the victims of these hurricanes, but that may not always be true in the future. And at some point, catastrophes become far too large to be met with even all the resources at our disposal.
So, that show is what I think about when climate change comes up, and it's what I've been thinking about during these hurricanes.
As we pray for those in Florida and throughout these hurricane-ravaged states in the coming days—as we donate our money and our blood and our time—it might be wise to also reflect on how profoundly ill-prepared we are to manage the coming disasters that are difficult, if not impossible, to imagine in their horrific scope.
And if you do choose to watch that show, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
I did Search and Rescue(/Recovery) in the aftermath of Katrina; and without even seeing it, I can tell you that the show didn’t come close to capturing the sheer horror of NOLA in the aftermath of the storm.
I read Fink’s book a couple of years ago, and it was heartbreaking. I absolutely cannot imagine having to face the choices those doctors and nurses — people who swore an oath to “first do no harm” — were forced to make.
I couldn’t watch it. I evacuated from NOLA the day before Katrina hit. The aftermath was the worst few months of my life. I’ve had PTSD symptoms all week seeing the news of Milton.
I watched it and it was every bit as horrifying as you described.
I went on a mission trip sponsored by my church to help rebuild some homes damaged by Katrina. We were in Ocean Springs, MS. I couldn’t believe what I witnessed. It was absolutely heartbreaking.💔 people were grieving the losses of loved ones, homes, and complete neighborhoods. It was pure devastation.
I read the book - like you said, definitely unforgettable.
That show is absolutely devastating.
A few years ago I watched a documentary about polar bears struggling to survive while losing their habitat to climate change. It was heartbreaking.
You made it further than I did. Turned it off after about 20 minutes. Decided I just didn’t need it.