I've been overwhelmed with the news about Fort McMurray this week: photos, videos, and stories of sadness, grief, total loss and utter devastation.
But the fact remains that outside of a tragic traffic accident, 88,000+ people made it safely out of a terrifying situation. That's not a little thing.
The Emergency Services at every level are proving themselves beyond question. They're working 24/7 while their own families leave, their homes possibly gone. All levels of government are working together to do the best they can in a terrifying, incomprehensible situation. One that isn't actually getting any better from the sounds of things.
I can't really afford it, but I donated to the Red Cross for the relief effort. I decided to put my money where my mouth is. There are thousands right now who have nothing and I'm very fortunate to have all my comforts - whatever I deem those to be. With the Feds matching $ for $ that means I doubled my donation to $400. Maybe someone can get some groceries with that, or a new pair of shoes and some clothes for the kids. A dog or cat or horse can get a new blanket or bed. Or a hotel bill can be paid. Or a new book can be bought.
Frustration is high. Anger is high. Fear is rampant. Rumours abound and communication is garbled. Keyboard warriors abound - politicising, finger pointing, blaming, assuming, undermining, etc. Think what you want about the government at every level, love them or hate them, but what matters most is that everyone is safe. The hardest part will be post-fire, when the damage is assessed and the rebuilding starts.
3 comments:
We had our first Fort Mac refuge enroll at our school yesterday. They made it down and all this way to stay with relatives. Watching the videos is like watching apocalyptic movies, and this family drove through that to get out. There are so many people helping in so many different ways. It is good to see people coming together.
Utterly terrifying and wholly heartbreaking for sure! The support being shown the community is nothing short of amazing. I hope the family can find some comfort and begin to rebuild a little now that they've landed safely. School registration is one little step to regaining normalcy. xx
I can barely believe, after all of the video coverage I watched, that fire fighters were able to save 90% of Fort Mac! That just boggles my mind. Not that people can go home yet as essential services like gas/water/electricity all have to be repaired. Like Great Slave lake Fort Mac will once again rise from the ashes. I hope they can find ways to make the city safer in future.
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