Debby's Victims

Houses boarded up. Evacuation routes in use. Businesses closed.

It's time for tropical storm Debby.

Though I left Florida two days before Debby really made her rounds, my family and I encountered category four hurricane Charlie in 2005. I was just a clueless kid not understanding anything that was going on.

But I understood one thing. Lives were about to be drastically changed.

On television, hurricanes look scary. The whole map of the state is covered in colors that indicate rain and wind. People see this and say, "Wow, that looks horrible."

It's way more than horrible. In person, hurricanes look much worse than on television. You actually see the rain and you actually feel the wind. And you will whisper to yourself, "Wow, this really is horrible."

Picture this: you're sitting in a hotel and the power is out. You're helplessly looking out the window, knowing your house probably isn't there anymore. Once the day in hell is over, you return to where your home used to be. There's nothing. No clothes, no furniture, no house. Only memories.

This picture was reality for any strong soul who experienced a hurricane or tropical storm. There is nowhere to go but up. You must rebuild. You must restructure. You must relive.

On the daily news, anchors speak of "tragic murders" and "terrifying crimes."

Let's face reality. Mother nature is our scariest suspect.