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Mary Ann Etzler (Etzler-Phillips)
Hey everyone!
Now that Hurricane Dorian has made its presence known and is headed on out, I'm hoping that another storm will not stop me from attending the reunion in October! Tickets are purchased and prayting there is no early winter storm up there (or down here) to keep me away. Looking forward to seeing everyone!
I had to cancel a trip to TX for a family reunion this past weekend thinking we were going to be in the middle of the hurricane. Gratefully, the storm's eye and hurricane force winds stayed off-shore in our area-tho we were prepared for the full force if it came our way. We dodged a bullet but the Bahamas are devastated.
It will take years for the northern Bahamanian islands to recover and likely months just to complete rescue and recovery. Islands are underwater 5-15 feet, and will take time for it to receed. Planes can't land as the runways are still underwater. Preliminary reports are that buildings have been leveled just like in Mexico City Beach, FL, last year (due to Hurricane Michael, another cat 5 storm). Getting supplies to people and setting up temporary shelters/homes is a massive undertaking. Please pray for the people in the Bahamas, the rescue workers, and the emergency care givers as the tasks are daunting. If any of you are part of service groups, please volunteer to help rebuild, fundraise to purchase supplies necessary to rebuild (I think the Fuller Center for Housing may be putting together a plan) or participate in clean up. Until you've seen it and walked with the people whose lives have been destroyed, it is hard to understand the devastation of property and the impact on the survivors. My husband and I have both been involved in clean up or rebuilds after hurricanes and it is absolutely depressing when you realize how massive the destruction is and how much effort is required to help get people back into a home of any sort.
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