A Big Storm Rolls In

I took this photo a couple of years ago at Atlantic Beach, NC, as a thunderstorm was rolling in.

We have a bigger storm rolling in now, one that covers a lot more of the country and has the potential to become a superstorm should it collide/combine with a couple of other weather systems coming down from the Great Lakes and elsewhere.  Plus, it's a full moon and so the tides are especially high already.  The potential for flood damage from the storm surge is of particular concern.

So far, we here in Williamsburg are just getting a lot of rain. We have rivers on either side of us - the James and the York, but the city itself is built on a ridge on the peninsula.  Father down into the Tidewater areas of Hampton, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, etc. there's even more water around already - the ocean, the Chesapeake Bay, several rivers, creeks and marshes.  The flooding of some streets in low-lying areas has already started.  When the wind gets up, things could get trickier, particularly if it knocks out power.  On the other hand, the chance of our getting hurricane-force winds is fairly low.

When stuff like this happens (or more to the point, while we are waiting for stuff to happen), nervousness breaks out. Should we stay home even though nothing's happened yet? Should we cancel things like church or school or meetings or airports or public transit? How do we determine what's essential and what's not? And who makes those decisions?

Different people answer these questions in different ways.  The situation calls for a great deal of forbearance, I believe.  And calmness.  And generosity.  

Meanwhile, it's always a good idea to pray. Pray for those who must make decisions about what to do.  Pray for those who have died in this storm as it tore through Haiti, Jamaica, the Bahamas, and other Caribbean islands.  Pray for those who are flooded out or suffer damage from high winds. Pray for those hardy souls who will be working under very difficult conditions to get power restored to those who will undoubtedly lose power because of the storm. Pray for those who are caring for the sick and the elderly, working in hospitals and nursing homes and other care facilities. Pray for those who are without shelter.  Pray for those who are afraid.  

Amen.