My mom heard a story on NPR that she told me about, and I simply can't get it out of my mind or my heart. People were calling in from Houston and surrounding areas, telling what they'd seen and experienced. Then a woman called in, and my mom said you could tell she was struggling to keep from breaking down completely as she spoke. The woman said "virtually all the news so far is out of the cities, and no doubt, what is happening there is terrible. But I live out in the country, and it is terrible here too. When the water began to rise, first my pigs drowned. Then it rose more, and my goats drowned. Now it has risen to the point where my cows are drowning, and there is nothing I can do about it..."
I was so struck by the sheer horrible helplessness of it all--the helplessness of the poor animals as they struggled, became exhausted and finally succumbed, as well as the helplessness of the woman to either save these animals whose lives she is responsible for or to end their suffering swiftly. I cannot imagine the pain, nor can I imagine she will ever forget this time.
My heart hurts for all who have lost something to the forces unleashed in these storms. I know that more will struggle and suffer in the next few days. I wish there was more I could do.