The tragedy left in the wake of Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma has been catastrophic. Homes were destroyed, businesses were flooded, and entire infrastructures have collapsed.
In the latest sweep of Hurricane Irma, Florida was hit with damaging winds that left up to 9 million residents without power across the state. Tattered debris lines flooded streets in some coastal towns.
Before the hurricane made landfall in Florida, it devastated many islands along the way. The Bahamas and theVirgin Islands were hit hard with little to no resources left after Irma’s departure.
There are many organizations and individuals aiding in support of Hurricane victims everywhere; some of these include Samaritan’s Purse, Salvation Army, Lions Club International and Global Giving.
President Trump, also, has made several appearances offering his support and his time; going hands on at local pick up points for Hurricane relief supplies.
Fox News reported:
“President Donald Trump helps load donated items for people impacted by Hurricane Harvey during a visit to First Church of Pearland in Pearland, Texas, Saturday, Sept. 2, 2017.”
As humanity bands together to help one another in compassion and love, a silver lining is found in the midst of adversity.
Heroes are born among the chaos as the need for citizens to step up increases. One such hero is a dad from St. John’s in the Virgin Islands.
People reported:
“Steele and her husband Karl Pytlik — owners of the sailing and snorkeling charter Virgin Magic Charters — headed to St. John Inn with their sons to ride out the storm because all flights off the island were booked. When the storm rolled in on Wednesday, the situation quickly turned dire.”
When the roof of the Inn began to recede from the walls of their room, the family knew they had to take better cover from the storm.
Pytlik bravely took his family to a room down the hall that still had a roof in tact. He pushed a mattress and a piece of furniture against the wall to provide covering for his family.
That room eventually began to be compromised with the roof beginning to peel away. Steele and her sons Arlo, 4, and Ezra, 2, waited under the mattress as Pytlik ran outside in the eye of the storm to find better shelter.
He came back with hope of a shelter he had found in another building not far away. It had a concrete roof and was used for storage.
People reported on the moment Pytlik officially became more than a great dad and husband:
“We grabbed the kids and made a run for it, running around the building we were in, up and down flights of stairs in the rain to get to the safe room. My husband is officially my hero.”
After the storm had decreased in severity,Pytlik took his family to a friend’s house that had an underground, concrete bunker.
It was while staying there that Steele got in contact with a friend that told her of a boat bringing supplies from Coral Bay to Saint Croix.
Steele and her children road with the supplies boat to Saint Croix, but her husband stayed back to help the others who were struggling on the island.
Federal assistance for the United States owned Virgin Islands is available and making efforts.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency reported:
“The president declared a major disaster September 7, 2017 for the islands of St. John and St. Thomas to assist individuals and households as they recover from the effects of Hurricane Irma beginning September 6, 2017 and continuing.”
In the meantime, locals didn’t hesitate to use their private resources to aid their neighbors.
Fisherman, firefighters, emergency personnel, and the shopkeeper down the street were all working together for the safety of humanity; they are all heroes of our day.
People reported on Steele’s reaction to her arriving to safety:
“When we arrived on St. Croix I was moved to tears at the efforts the Crucians are putting forth to help. They are raising money, purchasing supplies and sending them over on private boats. The boats are bringing people back to St. Croix. The Virgin Islands family is amazing!”
Many unlikely heroes stepped up to aid the victims of Hurricane Irma, including a nun.
Chron reported:
“A chainsaw-wielding nun named Sister Margaret Ann is in a Miami community helping clear debris after Hurricane Irma. Dressed in her traditional habit garb, the sister deftly handles the chainsaw and makes quick work of the limbs.”
As the worst of Hurricane Irma is over, we see the wreckage she left in her tracks. It will be months to years before homes are repaired, and infrastructure is built back up.
As long as humanity bands together, nothing is too big to conquer. We live in an incredibly resilient nation with leadership that believes in us, and citizens that look out for us. In time, this tragedy shall too pass.