Tuesday, June 23rd, was the 52nd anniversary of an event that dramatically changed my life and that of thousands of people in my home town.

That Friday in 1972, Hurricane Agnes hit the East Coast, wreaking havoc on a wide swatch of the mid-Atlantic between Northeastern Pennsylvania and the Chesapeake Bay. By the end of the weekend, we and most everyone else in Wyoming Valley had lost everything we owned in the flood that resulted from the storm.

I can clearly remember the urgent escape to the mountain home of a family friend, where nearly 30 people had gathered, followed by long, hard days of clearing through debris to find the few things we could salvage. There was no FEMA back then. We stood in line for food stamps, soup kitchen handouts, and Red Cross vouchers. It was nearly a year from the time the flood hit until we were able to rebuild our house and move back inside. In the meantime, we lived in a motor home, parked in our driveway. The federal government delivered travel trailers to many of our neighbors, who camped in their driveways as well.

As horrible as this time was, it was remarkable for what did not happen: There were an amazingly few number of deaths: people followed directions and evacuated in a timely fashion–even though there was no internet or cell phones or social media. Residents didn’t push back when told to evacuate and there was no scuffle with government officials about what needed to be done or rumors of conspiracy theories as to why this had happened.

Living through an experience like this changes you. You realize what’s really important and what can’t be replaced. Just as importantly, you lose that false sense of security that says something like this can’t happen here. The idea that bad things happen to other people, not to us, is just not true.

Yesterday, two large earthquakes hit Venezuela. The death toll is still to be determined, but it may be in the tens of thousands. Fires, floods, tornados, typhoons, and other disasters regularly happen around the world—and in spite of all the advanced technology we have available today, people die and the lives of others are disrupted. Wars and terrorism continue unabated around the globe.

We can’t stop bad things from happening, but we can take precautions when appropriate. That starts by acknowledging that bad things do happen: here, there, and everywhere—and when they do, we have the ability and the responsibility to do what’s necessary to help those affected recover.

Let us help your business rise to the top.

linda@popky.com
(650) 281-4854
www.leverage2market.com