On September 14, at approximately 7:15 EDT, the Eastern seaboard was rocked hard by Hurricane Florence, whilst it was a category 1. At that moment, wind speeds had increased to 90 miles per hour and the mass amounts of flooding had begun.

Two days before, both of the governors of the Carolinas declared a state of emergency, causing a majority of the population living in the areas of landfall to evacuate as soon as possible. Over 1 million people were under the orders of evacuation. This caused for the nearby interstates and major roadways to be filled with people trying to leave the state, and leaving their homes behind to flood and their personal belongings to perish.

One specific story from the New York Times told of a family who wasn’t able to leave because they did not have the ‘resources’ to afford gas, and even if they did, long lines of cars were filled at every gas station in the state. He claims that he came to North Carolina to visit his father, diagnosed with cancer. In the midst of all this, they decided to prepare for landfall by visiting the nearby grocery
stores and preparing meals for the weeks after landfall of the hurricane.

Hurricane Florence is also to blame for the 1.2 billion dollars worth of damage in South Carolina alone. It is sorrowful to think of the deaths caused by this natural disaster, with the death toll currently at 42 people. A majority of these people had died as stormwater caused their vehicles to submerge.

In the aftermath of Florence, roads, buildings, and personal properties have all been gone, but one thing that stays strong is the patriotism of all those who have lost everything except their spirit for this country. Our country is strong not because we have withstood natural disasters, but because each person has the American willingness that we have shown time and time again. No matter what obstacle comes our way, the spirit of the American people will prosper forever.