In so many ways, and for so many people, 2020 was a year like no other. The challenges we face seem more frequent and more intense, and the joys seem to be somewhat muted—perhaps a hesitation to fully rejoice during a season where so many are mourning. But it was unprecedented in yet another way: the number of hurricanes that have come up through the Gulf of Mexico and impacted the Gulf Coast states. And don’t forget the dozens of countries that have been impacted before the storms reached the gulf waters. As of mid-November, nearly the entire Gulf and Atlantic Coasts had been under a hurricane or tropical storm warning in 2020, and it has felt unrelenting. Not all of the coast was struck by a storm last year, but for those who have been hit and continue to be in the projected path of additional storms, the season was particularly troubling.
Having previously lived in Louisiana for eight years, I’m very familiar with hurricane seasons, storm projections, decisions to evacuate or shelter in place, and clean-up efforts after storms make impact. I write this, however, not as someone who currently lives along the coast but as a disaster response volunteer from Illinois. In a typical year, this record-breaking number of storms would keep volunteers busier than ever. But because of COVID-19, that has been far from the case. “No” and “not yet” tied for the most frequent answers to whether my services would be needed in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama last year—not for a lack of work, but for adjustments made to volunteer policies because of COVID-19. Different organizations are handling COVID restrictions differently, so that added another layer of complexity. Read More
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