There’s nothing like a splash of cold water to wake you up. Imagine what a 33-trillion-gallon splash would do. Maybe 24 hours of wind at 185 miles per hour would sweep you onto your feet. Hurricanes Harvey and Irma said, “Wakey wakey,” and we can’t afford to nod off.

How do you recover from disaster when you can’t count on insurance companies for relief, and dashed are beliefs that government is acting in your best interest? First, recognize that disaster provides the opportunity to disrupt the status quo, to seek change when problems are apparent and foremost in people’s minds. Before problems can be defined, they must be accurately described. Ask questions. Start conversations within your community.

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