I once read a study which claimed that Milwaukee was the safest place to live (when only considering natural disasters).
Otherwise, it’s a bit fucked here and we’ve managed to altar the mortality statistics with other human-made variables (structural racism, systemic poverty, corruption, crime etc.).
But Milwaukee’s citizens don’t usually see hurricanes or mudslides or tornadoes or stifling heat due to our proximity to Lake Michigan.
Side note: Lake Michigan is my favorite body of water.
It’s big enough to house giant ships at its depths
and fierce enough to host large, crashing waves
and significant enough
to produce a “lake effect” which keeps Milwaukee’s natural climate pretty hospitable.
This is why last Tuesday’s wind storm shook the city to its core.
Our WiFi is still out four days later so I’m writing this post on my phone.
Since we get our WiFi through Spectrum, which is known to be The Absolute Worst during normal times, we may never again have internet.
Case in point, last night the Spectrum website was down.
In any case, the storm really hit our neighborhood.
My husband and I were looking out the windows of our second floor apartment and, all of a sudden, our building seemed to shake and the trees outside started to bend all the way over and shake violently in a way that seemed to defy physics.
We could see the wind as it was suddenly carrying all kinds of things in its clutches… trash, cats, branches and other objects were flying by our second floor window.
And it came upon us all at once. David was on the phone with his parents when it suddenly struck and it caused him to cry out “Oh shit!” just before his call was dropped.
So his parents worried for a bit until he was again able to call them back.
The storm didn’t last long but it left a pretty intense mark. Giant, mature trees were pulled out of the ground. Their gigantic branches snapped off and fell on parked cars.
It hit our neighborhood so badly the police even showed up for a change.
They put up orange Road Closed barriers and secured emergency tape.
Our street looked like a war zone.
Nothing new but a different kind of war zone.
The police car was later replaced with an ambulance but we never saw anyone loaded into it.
The next day we drove to work via a different route as, while our car was spared, the trees were still blocking the streets surrounding our building.
Other areas of the city and the surrounding area were also hit and featured on the local news.
The news also showed city street crews out there, clearing the streets of trees and debris.
But the city only sent a police cruiser, an ambulance, emergency tape and some orange barriers our way… and nothing else.
For three days nothing changed until last night when some neighborhood folk decided to clear our street themselves using chain saws and… someone plowed through one of the orange road barriers.
Ta-da! The street is again open!
It reminded me of winter storms and how no plows came to our neighborhood.
In any case, we are grateful to be alive. Not everyone was as lucky. Moreover, tens of thousands of people lost power which still hasn’t been restored due to the massive number of people affected. The heat has been stifling lately so I couldn’t help but worry for the older people who would not have AC or be able to run fans.
A reminder that life can be changed in an instant.
With COVID making its “comeback” and all of the natural disasters hitting the world right now, it’s important to prioritize what matters and cherish each day we have it.
Because tomorrow is never certain.
Brain Wars!!! 
Oh em gee, Hillarie, you sounded unexpectedly chill during your mid-storm audio. Were you, perhaps, under pharmaceutical assistance? I only ask because your reactions were familiar to me. I’m so relieved you came through it all unscathed. And so CALM.
Having been bitten by some unknown crawly that caused near anaphylaxis just as Hurricane Fran was bearing down on Raleigh, I had been put on a heavy dose of Benadryl. For me, Benadryl is normally like unto a date-rape drug. But not that night. I was quite alert, though weirdly unconnected. “Oh. A tree is down. Huh. There goes another one. Oh. One just fell on the house. Huh.” Though interesting, it seemed of no great concern.
I wouldn’t want to go through any part of that experience again, but I’m grateful it was with the assistance of a pharmaceutical assist. There’s much to be said for lack of adrenaline. 😀
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Hahahaha aw. I think I’m just add my very end, dear Lisa. Traumatized to the point where imminent death doesn’t quite evoke the response it should. I’d diagnose myself with PTSD and I can do that because I have a PhD in Counseling and Psychotherapy. 😂 But the storm had passed by the time I shot that video so it wasn’t shot during the scary part. It was merely the aftermath. I asked David “Should we go into the basement” and he responded “I don’t want to go to the basement” so we didn’t go the basement and it’s clear neither of us is doing that well. 😂 Or we’ve both made peace with our God and are ready to go if that’s what’s scheduled. 😂🤷🏻♀️
Hee hee… I’m so sorry about your being bit! Yikes!!! I’ve had similar experiences with Benadryl. Sometime it knocks me out and sometimes it doesn’t do anything. Same with Tylenol PM. Sometimes it knocks me out for days and sometimes it doesn’t do anything. Our bodies are chemical wonders. 😵💫🛸 I hope you’re okay! 😘 Hugs to you!!
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Mother Nature released her wrath a little early. Today is Friday the 13th, wouldn’t that have been more fitting? Either way, glad you were spared the worst of it. I live out in Washington state, and our current natural disaster is all the damn fires. Came over to wine country for the weekend, and what are usually quite spectacular views are socked in with a sick haze that dries out your eyes, nose & throat. Fortunately, there are some very tasty wines to take care of that
Hope your wi-fi returns soon!
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Oh ho ho ho!!! I hadn’t realized that!!! FRIDAY THE 13TH!!! I’m editing my ghostly storybook for an audio reading I’m prepping for so… how I wished I had realized this earlier!!!
This event occurred on Tuesday the 10th so I think Mother Nature was off too! 😂😘😘😘
Oh my word. Those wildfires. They’re even reaching all the way over here. All those people’s lives now rubble and the wildlife and nature… it’s so scary and sad. I hope you are able to stay safe! I’m so sorry about your weekend. Those images look like it’s the apocalypse. 😭💔
I saw a truck with a ladder outside… since we thankfully didn’t lose power… I’m hoping it’s out there to fix the wifi… maybe…? It was unmarked which makes sense because I’m sure Spectrum just contracts with the mob or something. 😂🖤
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“Contracts out with the mob,” Snort.
Have you checked your blood pressure lately? Something weird with women, PTSD, and BP.
Yes, I’m good. Carried an EpiPen for years, but never had a repeat. As those are now too dear and it’s been like twenty five years, I finally stopped. (Knock wood.)
You should see me on Dramamine.
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I’m glad you’re ok after this nasty storm, but please don’t talk about cats a blowing around, it is too upsetting for me. It’s amazing how you and your neighbours have to fix everything that happens yourselves, from clearing snow and trees, to rescuing hookers who pass out. Milwaukee sounds like a city that is in need of an overhaul at city hall. Also, who knew there was an Acropolis in Lake Michigan?
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Thank you dear Naomi! 😘 Haha yeah! It’s sadly intriguing to know what Lake Michigan has eaten… it’s like living close to an ocean but with far fewer hurricanes and earthquakes. No cats were blowing around (I don’t think… though it was crazy intense and all kinds of things were blowing around and I more HOPE there weren’t cats in the mix 😬).
Yeah, we live in a bad hood. Sigh. Milwaukee definitely needs an overhaul. An example is how our NBA team was in the finals—>championship and there was national news about how many people gathered outside for the games. There were all these reports of violence on Water Street (it looked like anarchy) because… there didn’t seem to be a police presence at all. For other large outdoor events in other cities like Chicago, there is always a visible police presence… especially police on horses. The visible reminder to the masses to keep calm and not get too crazy.
It took many nights of mayhem for the city to realize that maybe there should be a visible police presence on horses for these NATIONALLY BROADCASTED MASSIVE BUCKS CROWDS. 😂 It’s like Milwaukee just became a city and is learning how to do it.
While also realizing it’s very bad at it.😂 The city tree-choppers showed up today (which citizens already chopped up and moved from the road) while WE Energies called to tell us our power has been restored (our power never went out).
Ahhhhhh Milwaukee!!! 😵💫😂🙌
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