We are very lucky here in the Midwest. We have never had to deal with a severe hurricane and the mass destruction that comes with them. While we can do our very best to stay informed and to comprehend the catastrophic events that have occurred recently, we are still severely distanced from the reality of it all.
Three incredibly violent storms—three terrifying nightmares—happened all too quickly. And there are things we should know about them…
One of the greatest lessons we can learn from these events is the reality of climate change. While climate change is not the sole reason that these storms happened, it has been connected to making these hurricanes far more intense than they would have been initially. Considering effects such as rising sea levels and warmer oceans, meteorologists suggest that storms like these will only continue to become more prevalent.
However, we stand at a crossroads with many political leaders who believe climate change to be a hoax—namely, President Trump. He has been cutting funds and disbanding programs that goes to researching and combating the rising temperatures; what is need is, in the contrarary, both immense social and political change in attempt of preventing natural disasters reoccurring at the power and frequency that we have seen in these past few weeks. This is especially necessary with the devastating impact these hurricanes have had on areas like Texas, Louisiana, the Caribbean Islands, Florida and Puerto Rico.
The detrimental effects of the hurricanes reached a dramatic climax when Hurricane Maria landed in Puerto Rico: it knocked out the country’s power grid and left residents with only scarce resources and an obliterated infrastructure. Food, water, fuel and safety are now at an all-time low, and Puerto Ricans are in a dire state of need. Although the United States deployed some aid to Puerto Rico in the days following the hurricane, the aid they gave was not nearly as much as they are capable of. While this can be frustrating and upsetting, there are many opportunities for you to help support Puerto Rico; some organizations involved in aid are:
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Global Giving
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UNICEF
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United for Puerto Rico
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Unidos: A Relief Fund for Hurricane Maria Victims in Puerto Rico
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The Salvation Army
While not all of us are able to donate money to these causes, you can always stay informed on the development of these recovering locations. That way, you can hold your government accountable in aiding the relief of its very own citizens—it is important.