What Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Andrew taught me as a mom and as a kid

The pressure to rebuild isn’t just felt by the parents; it is felt by the children, too.

While the nation tracked Hurricane Ian’s movement throughout Florida, I was reminded of 14-year-old me, nearly 30 years ago, being thrust into adulthood in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew. My hometown of Homestead, Florida, was rocked to ruins by the unforgiving winds of Andrew. With sustained gusts of 165 mph, the Category 5 storm snapped utility poles, flipped semis, leveled over 50,000 homes and stole 23 lives. 

As adults, we’ve all had to bail out on plans for home maintenance. It’s a drag, but it’s part of life. Last week, I had to cancel a lunch appointment to meet with a plumber about an unruly garbage disposal. A month ago, I had to dip out of a doctor’s appointment to deal with a shotty roof job. In the fall of 1992, I called in absent from school because I had to be home to meet with the cabinet guy — one of my jobs in helping my family rebuild after Andrew. 

In the fall of 1992, I called in absent from school because I had to be home to meet with the cabinet guy — one of my jobs in helping my family rebuild after Andrew.

Many parents picking up pieces after Ian will be left to fight several battles. Looters. Insurance companies. Contractors. But the biggest fight they might not see coming is the fight for their children’s childhood.  

At just 14, I was a survivor and a part of a recovery process. In some cases because I was asked to be, but in most cases because I wanted to be. There was a house on the ground, a business to relaunch and a rebuilding that needed to begin. As I look back now, yeah, there was a lot of work to be done, but there was also a childhood to be lived.  

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/hurricane-ian-andrew-parents-children-recovery-rcna50088

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