This was posted by family members who were hit by the hurricanes in St. Croix. It is "spot on", stated other residents. We copied it and re-posted it here for our readers. This is good education on what the aftermath of a disaster is like and help us be better prepared.
1. You no longer ask "How are you?", but "How did you make out?" And you’re not sure if you want to know the answer.
2. You start to go to bed at 7:30 pm because island curfew starts at 6pm and it's so dark there's nothing else to do but sleep.
3. Your poop and shower sessions now revolve around the generator schedule.
4. If you own a generator you also need a security guard to go with it.
5. Ice cubes have more value than gold and you either get up at the crack of dawn to wait in line for 1 rationed bag or you make an exchange of some sort in the back alley, on the down low out of your car, like a drug dealer.
6. If you have a "generator time" if you’re truly blessed. You now have 10 new best friends that show up at "generator time".
7. The statement that "Cash is King" is an understatement. How to get it, when all the banks are closed, is a mystery.
8. You travel with chainsaws, and other debris removal and construction equipment, in the event that there happens to be a roof or telephone pole in the road, or a friend that needs to clear a path to their home.
9. You fill up your car and every container with gas, even after you drive only a half mile, as you’re not sure there will be gas tomorrow (or ever).
10. Whenever it rains or the winds blow? You start to get serious anxiety, panic attacks and start to look for the closest shelter. You think “Do I have PTSD”?
11. You are now an expert “yoga cell service professional”, able to bend and hold positions for hours at a time, while attempting to get signal for one conversation with the outside world.
12. Instead of "chasing the sun" you now spend hours "chasing the WIFI."
13. Your most hated dance is the “mosquito dance”. And while you spend a lot of your time on “mosquito security”, there's always that one little bastard that finds a way.
14. You never want to see another freaking peanut butter n jelly sandwich again.
15. You find yourself searching for "normal" in just about anything.
16. You realize Hurricane mosquitoes are a mutated species, immune to the highest level of Deet bug spray and Skin So Soft combined.
17. When driving around, you now know every corner where there is a roof, tree or power line in the road….. and exactly how tall your car is to get under them.
18. You figured out that the flashlight feature on your phone is the best life saving invention ever. You’re now very aware of exactly how much battery life is sucked up by every application on your phone.
19. You have made a path in your house for the “new river and waterfall” display that runs from your ceiling through your living room.
20. You feel guilty if you’re driving a car that still has all of its windows intact.
21. Fresh produce at the grocery store causes a frenzy, much like a “Black Friday” sale on the hot new "it" toy in the States.
22. The previously fantastic ocean views are now even more spectacular. This is because most of the trees and vegetation have been blown away. You’re able to see parts of the island that you’ve never seen before.
23. You have learned to bath, do your dishes, clean your house, flush your toilet and wash your clothes (Not in that order) all with one bucket of water drawn from your cistern.
24. Most everyone you know now has open air sky lights in the roofs of their houses.
25. You notice every bit of green, and every bit of new life that shows up on island.
26. The sound of reggae music has been replaced with the sounds of generators and mosquitoes buzzing.
27. You have learned to say goodbye to lifelong friends in 10 minutes, before they jump on an evacuation boat or plane. It’s a surreal experience….. like it's a “see you tomorrow” goodbye, but you feel like you may not ever see them again.
28. If you have a cold drink and a place to charge your phone….. you are living like a King.
29. You have lost 10 pounds on the “Irma diet”. This weight loss plan consists of candy bars, Doritoes, PB n J sandwiches and all the “debris removal exercise workouts” that you’re doing.
30. You are excited to go to bed to forget, and bummed when you wake up and remember.
31. Your concept of history and time is now referred to as "Before Irma", "After Maria", "Between Irma and Maria" which has now replaced "After Marilyn".
32. Your expectation level of “when food has spoiled” has changed. And now you wait for the aftermath to figure out if you misjudged it.
33. A head lamp is part of your normal daily ensemble, and dry socks are a prized commodity.
34. You realize that some technology is overrated when your old school flip phone or outdated iPhone works better than your new fancy IPhone 7.
35. You realize you must have a destiny of greatness ahead of you, and you that you might be superhuman, as you have once again skipped over death ... and for those in the US Virgin Islands... We Have Skipped Twice!
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