In the fall of 1992, the stage began to be set for a flood that would eventually devastate farms, towns, and livelihoods along the Mississippi River Valley during the summer months of 1993. As the waters rose throughout the Central U.S., people took action, not just to save their homes, but also the homes of others.
“I spent most of that summer sandbagging, filling sandbags and going to where help was needed.”
“… A friend and I joined about 10 strangers and off we went to sandbag.”
“A call went out to volunteer on the wall in Germania, so I went. This wall was big, had pumps behind it to relieve pressure, and we were defending dozens of homes. … Easily 30-plus people were on the line moving thousands of bags. Anyone could have been on that line, from high school drop-outs to college graduates. The only thing that we had in common is that we all stunk of sweat and smelled the ripe water on the other side of the wall.”
“I spent every evening from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. sandbagging” (1)
Words like “strangers” and “only thing in common…” stand out to me. People were helping each other whether they knew them or not. Humanity helping humanity. It’s a sight to behold and is a thing of beauty.
Tomorrow, August 1st, is the anniversary of the peak river stage along the Mississippi River near St. Louis, and it got me thinking of how I could help my fellow man and woman in this flood of COVID. My wife and I decided to get vaccinated earlier this year and “sandbag” our home, so to speak. But, I feel like our help doesn’t stop there.
It appears that the Delta variant of COVID is like a renewed rise in flood waters, putting certain communities at risk once again. I had hoped the flood waters were receding for good, but it appears that may not be the case. Just like people coming together during the summer of 1993, I don’t just want to ask what I can do to help my house. I want to find ways to help the community as well. My home may be at lower risk of impact, but this is a community-wide fight.
So with that, my wife and I have decided to start wearing masks in public once again, not in fear and not because it’s required, but in support of our community. We care for our community and want to do our part to help fight against the potential renewed flooding that is COVID and the Delta variant.
At this point, I hear some probably questioning whether COVID is as big of a problem as some make it out to be. I hear you on that, and sometimes I wonder that myself. However, as a Meteorologist, I regularly see people not take certain weather events seriously, sometimes with devastating consequences (this storm won’t be as bad as the last one, tornadoes never strike here, etc). Some even laugh it off (ever heard of hurricane parties?).
Unfortunately, we don’t have the luxury of knowing in advance exactly what will happen with a weather event or with the Delta variant. And so we each have to make a decision on how to prepare. But, I believe that the decision doesn’t stop with us. We may not all agree on the severity or impact of COVID, we may not all share the same race, religion, or political background, but we do all share one thing…we are all part of humanity. So, maybe the question we should ask ourselves is what can I do for my community? My wife and I have asked that question and made our decision, and will continue to re-evaluate that decision. Will you join us and do the same? I’m not asking others to make the same decision we did, but I would challenge those reading this to ask what is best for your community during this time. Just like during the Flood of ’93, helping your community may be uncomfortable, annoying, and inconvenient. But, in the end, humanity helping humanity is a beautiful thing and has a way of turning enemies into friends.
References
(1) “Readers Share their Memories of the Flood of 1993”. St Louis Post Dispatch, 11 August 2013. https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/readers-share-their-memories-of-the-flood-of-1993/article_9982bbaf-8981-5b4b-adb1-4a6b11653b75.html. Accessed 31 July 2021.
