It's not just us

It’s not just us

In the aftermath of BETA, our little Village has been devistated by the debris and damage brought on by the storm surge. Some homes that once stood majestically facing the Gulf are now in shambles with exposed wiring, plumbing and the like not to mention the destruction to their living space, decks, concrete pads, missing stairs and damaged pilings rendering them unsafe. Despolating changes affecting the beach itself as the dunes once proudly protecting our homes have been turned into ruins and in most cases washed away with back to back blasts from Mother Nature this year. Awe 2020 the year from a hot place! We will not soon forget the year that brought our lives to a halt and now depredation to our quaint little village.

As we walk along the passable roads riddled with debris and sand this local caught our attention. While we are all scrambling to repair water lines, restore power and complaining, not many stopped to think about this guy and his family or friends. He and the rest of the wildlife that cohabitate our Village are equally desolute. The look of absolutely being overwhelmed is what struck a chord.

So blessed are we to be living in the wonderland for bird watching, as more than 200 species of birds call Surfside home. For the roseate spoonbills, sandhill cranes, and array of herons and egrets that share our island the storm surge changed their lives too. The havoc to their homes is equally catastrophic. It isn’t just the lumber, stray nails, plastic bottles and trash but the contaminated water damned up in the ditches without flow.

In addition to our amazing winged neighbors is the unofficial mascot of the Village, Kemp Ridley sea turtle. We love our sea turtles in Surfside Beach. After the BP spill their endangered status became a focus for change. The Turtle Island Restoration began and volunteers from all over the island have been trained to be able to patrol the beaches looking for turtle visitors. The host of qualified volunteers are on the lookout for grown turtles, a nest of eggs or even the babies venturing their way into the Gulf. Even the turtles recognize that our Village is a great place to live. The Mother turtle will journey through the beach and into the dune area to dig her hole, prepare the nest to lay her eggs. She will usually leave around 100 eggs. Wow and I thought three sons was an overload. The great challenge normally is making certain that everyone is aware of their presence and allowing for a greater rate of survival. After the intense surges brought to us by Laura and Beta our dunes have been damaged, destroyed, and in some areas washed away. We as a community now are tasked with not just cleanup but rebuild. These amazing creatures have so many obstacles to overcome thus the need for our protection.

As the more intelligent form of life (lol) calling Surfside home, should we not focus our clean up efforts on safety and the locals before inviting tourists to return? It was appalling to hear that our island was opened to visitors just days after the waters began to leave our flooded streets. In a time where society needs a print out as to how to behave or instructions that your cup of coffee is hot so don’t burn yourself, does it not make more sense to refrain from inviting families to frolic in an unsafe environment? Obviously we need a sign or a memo for some as we observed a family with small children playing on the beach with areas of broken concrete and wires on either side of them.

I’m always being reminded to focus and it appears to me that the same needs to be shared with those in charge of our restoration efforts. Though I have given much focus on the remnants of Laura and Beta’s wrath upon our Village, there too must be gratitude to the men and women on the payroll and those volunteering their time and backs to clean up and clear out the residue. I commend those working diligently and challenge the negativity spewed to look to a more positive narrative.

*if you enjoy the photograph and narrative as well as wish to help in the clean up efforts in our community please note that any tips gathered for this piece will be used to provide gloves, trash bags, and masks for volunteers that gather to clean up our beach. Thank you in advance on behalf of the locals with or without feathers.