THE WINDS have died down. The waters have retreated. And all along the Mid-Atlantic coast, the remnants of Hurricane Isabel are painfully visible. Houses stand beaten and broken with the limbs of mighty oaks piercing their walls and roofs. Furniture mildews and rots on the side of the road, still bearing the marks of overbearing sea water. The devastation is great, and the financial burden plentiful. The only good emerging from Isabel's destruction is how powerful the human spirit is -- the strength of communities, the resolve of victims and the generosity or strangers.
Isabel slammed into northeastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia with a force to be reckoned with on Thursday morning. Before the skies had even cleared, communities were already aiding one another and heroes werw being made. From as far south as Dare County, North Carolina, to as far north as Pennsylvania, rescue workers were pulled away from families and relative safety to brave the storm in order to help those who refused evacuation orders.
Though people were warned to get out, many didn't and were subsequently put in grave danger and in need of help. Workers all over the eastern shore sacrificed their own well-being to go in when the water was rough and the wind was wild to save those who had in fact placed their own lives in danger. Their selflessness is tantamount evidence of the heroism that Hurricane Isabel inspired.
Along with rescue workers, electrical workers risked life and limb in desperate attempts to restore power to millions these past five days. In Maryland, two out-of-state utility workers who arrived to help with Isabel's aftermath were killed in their own efforts ("Water, power still in short supply after Isabel," CNN.com, Sept. 22). Although utility workers are not commonly seen as hero figures, their efforts and altruistic behavior are nothing less than heroic.
Unfortunately, like so many other American heroes, the power workers have not received the respect nor the gratitude they deserve -- especially in areas not as hard hit such as Charlottesville. It was a common gripe among students about their lack of power and cable this weekend -- the inability to talk online, watch the Emmy's or even blow-dry their hair.
That is nothing short of shameful. To all those who would whine about the inadequateness of the power company and their own minor inconveniences, get over it. Look to just south of Charlottesville where hundreds upon hundreds of houses have been condemned in the Hampton Roads area alone and families have lost everything. Look to the north, where 12 died in Maryland, New Jersey, Rhode Island, New York and Pennsylvania combined.
Things could be much, much worse. Those who weathered the storm safe and sound with little more than a minor blip in their daily lives need to be thankful and grateful, not petty and selfish.
In regards to the power problems, believe it or not the power companies are trying. Dominion Power, the company that supplies electricity to Charlottesville as well as the badly battered Hampton Roads area and destroyed Outer Banks, has 7,000 workers on the job currently. Seven thousand workers -- that's more than twice the normal crews and the majority are working 12-hour shifts or longer ("Armies of repair crews take on Isabel's damage," CNN.com, Sept. 21).
To really see the silver lining of Isabel, one needs only look at those areas most affected by the storm. On Beach Road, Nags Head, North Carolina, one ruined business took their still-good food to an unharmed restaurant in order to provide free, hot food to the overworked rescue and utility workers. In Poquoson, Virginia residents with generators walked up and down neighborhoods offering their own source of power to anyone who needed it and when power did return to a few streets, neighbors opened their doors to strangers to provide outlets for cell phones and hot water for showers. Churches throughout Hampton Roads opened their doors to those driven out by flood waters and offered hot meals and fresh showers.
The wind was memorable, and the devastation even more so. But if nothing else Isabel reconfirmed some things recently forgotten in the wake of war, corporate scandals and terrorism fears. There are such things as good neighbors, strong, supportive communities, and in the end nothing material matters as much as the safety of loved ones and the commitment to rebuild.
(Maggie Bowden is a Cavalier Daily associate editor. She can be reached at mbowden@cavalierdaily.com)
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