Personal Stories of Extreme Weather Emergencies

At NYC Climate Week 2024, four people describe how heat, hurricanes and floods changed their lives forever.

By Cindy Marchionda

12/29/2024

NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick captured this image of Hurricane Beryl in the Caribbean on July 1, 2024, while aboard the International Space Station. (NASA/Matthew Dominick)

I was born and raised in Miami, Florida.  I loved living in Miami: the weather, the year-round sun, the heat, the beaches, the flip-flops, and the hurricanes – which back then (circa 1980) looked like tropical storms compared to what they are today.  As a child and teenager, our hurricanes were excuses to throw parties.  We would hang signs in our windows welcoming the hurricane to town:  “Welcome, Hurricane Harry!” or “Welcome, Hurricane Betty!”  My parents would stock up with water and canned goods as my sister Chris and I were assigned to tape up our windows with masking tape.  Yes, masking tape.  It seems silly, now that we have hurricane proof windows.  But back then, masking tape was shockingly sufficient.

Since I have a history of surviving weather events, albeit minor, I felt it was a perfect fit to attend the Extreme Weather Survivors forum at the iconic Tribeca Film Center on Greenwich Street on September 25, 2024.  Bonus – I spotted the actor Sean Penn smoking a cigarette in front of the film center when I mistakenly thought the event was on Tuesday instead of Wednesday – the security guard tipped me off that a very famous actor was standing out front.

This was a forum, of sorts.  Four people telling their stories of extreme weather and how they affected their lives.

Amy: Her husband and best friend, Evan, died of heat stroke while hiking in the mountains of Arizona.  Evan was a neurology medical resident living in Phoenix.  Amy and Evan had a new baby, three-month-old Chloe, when he decided to go for an early morning hike.  There were weather warnings of extreme heat, but he felt going early in the morning and with a  group of people would keep him out of danger.

Unfortunately, the group got lost and ran out of water.  By the time the helicopters came to save them, Evan was already dead.  Amy stressed, “These deaths are preventable.”

Shanta: Hurricane Berle came through Houston and was only supposed to be a tropical storm.  It was the aftermath that devastated her community.  2.5 million people (including Shante) lost power for one whole week.  Temperatures, with no air conditioning, rose to over 85 degrees at night and to over 100 degrees during the day.  Hotels were jam packed with no occupancy available.  Shante says, “Where were our elected officials?”

Alexa: Alex and her husband live in Montpelier, Vermont.  They are restaurant owners of 25 years and have a booming pizza shop called Positive Pies on State Street.  Alexa says floods are now coming to Vermont every two years.  The most recent flood devastated their business.  She says the water was coming in so fast that the roads were starting to wash out.  Positive Pies has a basement where they keep supplies.  The water ruined their entire basement as the flood water was filled with sewage and propane.  They are still in the process of rebuilding – now installing flood resident walls with brick instead of sheetrock. “FEMA doesn’t give businesses money,” says Alexa.  She says they are more in debt now, because of these floods, than when they first started their business 25 years ago.  Alexa wants new policies that will help restaurant owners come back from natural disasters, like flooding.

 They knew in the 1970s, even earlier than that, actually the 1960s, maybe some would say the 1950s, that burning fossil fuels would warm the climate.

—Richard Wiles, Center for Climate Integrity

Reverend Joiner:  The reverend lives in Eastern North Carolina, which he calls “a food desert.”

This community (and his congregation) don’t have access to fresh, affordable food.  He prayed about it, got some inspiration, and of all things – started farming.  Yes, he is a farmer now.  Growing his own food.  Rev. Joiner activated the youth in his community and taught them how to grow food and be one with nature.  The local hospital was thrilled. Fresh food equals better health.

In September, there was a weather warning – flooding possible.  The floods came and four feet of water covered all 25 acres of his farm.  Everything died.  He was devastated.  “This is man-made.  It’s not an act of God,” said Rev. Joiner.

Richard Wiles, Center for Climate Integrity
https://climateintegrity.org/about/people/richard-wiles

Richard Wiles, President of the Center for Climate Integrity, an organization that supports and encourages litigation against big oil companies for their role in causing climate change, ended the forum.  His organization claims that these oil companies have told the general population lies that have put people in the climate situation they are in today.

“I don’t want anybody to think that you’re a part of the problem, because you’re not. You didn’t cause climate change. They did. I don’t think any of you had anything to do with energy policy,” said Wiles.

Wiles added that around fifty years ago, the companies began to study climate change and the impact of their fuels and their products on the climate.

“They knew in the 1970s, even earlier than that, actually the 1960s, maybe some would say the 1950s, that burning fossil fuels would warm the climate.”

In New York, there’s a bill that’s been introduced by Senator Zellnor Myrie, in the state legislature – possibly to be called The Extreme Weather Recovery Act.

Wiles explained that what this bill does is create a clear path for an individual to sue an oil company for damages.  “And right now, there’s not a clear path for a person or a homeowner association or a farmer, or any private entity to take them to court.”

“It’s a small step, but it’s a way to get people some justice,” said Wiles.