Derechos - Who Knew
Linda Soller | Aug 02, 2012
Friday June 29, 2012 was like many other hot, humid, fairly miserable days in the DC metro area. There was concern about the heat, which was supposed to last for days; the kind of heat that is extremely dangerous. Most of us knew there was a chance for strong storms that night, but the prediction of strong storms after a very hot day was not unusual. I was sitting on my couch watching PBS, when I began to see those bands across my TV screen warning of severe weather. The man on the weather channel looked grim and referred to the storms as Derechos (Spanish for ‘straight’). Who knew? At about 10:15 p.m. I decided to move objects off the deck that could fly about. The heat was oppressive and there was no wind or lightening, none of the signs the weather man was discussing on the TV. Once inside I collected my flashlight, my cell phone, my laptop, a glass of water and headed to my basement to ride out the Derecho. Within ten minutes of coming back inside from the deck a mighty wall of wind then rain came through the area. I had never seen anything like it. It turns out that Derechos are long lived strong squall lines that are known for producing considerable damage across a widespread area. The wall of the storm passed quickly and was followed by thunderstorms that were more familiar in severity, but now they seemed pretty mild in comparison to that initial gush of wind and rain. The next day people across multiple states awoke to the destruction. Some had spent the first of many nights without power, without AC, cable TV or internet. Lives and home had been lost.
We all live at the mercy of nature and our surroundings. We fight nature to secure our comforts and recreation, but when push comes to shove we all know that mankind is no match for many of the things nature throws our way. Once we encounter the "fury of nature" we mourn for the people or things we lost, then we rebuild and move forward. At Church a few Sundays back I introduced myself to someone who I had noticed coming to services. We chatted and there was a brief mention of those suffering, and this person said," as we struggle with our suffering here on earth, we can appreciate all the more the heaven that awaits us". I thought of that remark as I saw the damage from the Derecho. In our prayers we must remember to always be thankful for all that we have and the promise we have been given. This week, as you go about your days and nights, take note of your blessings and your hardships. Remember to be thankful for what you gain from both. Have a great week.
:o) Linda