Surviving a cyclone and finding Encouragement

Most of you who know me here on World Pulse also know of my stories around November / December each year: It is cyclone time! Chennai, where I live, is no stranger to heavy rains this part of the year, and every so often, we have a cyclone (with a fun name, no less!). Typically, my memories of these cyclones have involved heavy rain, lots of speedy winds, and some stagnant water. In 2015, though, this felt like a very simplistic explanation of our monsoons: We had heavy floods, a power shut down, and a good amount of time before we could recover. In 2016, we had a full blown cyclone that coursed through the city, knocking a record number of trees off their roots. In 2021, I lost my favourite tree to heavy rains – a giant goddess that had been around opposite my flat, for several, several years before my flat was constructed. Yesterday, I had a whole different experience.

Cyclone Michaung was predicted to make landfall around December 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 – experts monitoring the weather were confused because of the configuration of the cyclone. It seemed the kind that took its time to build up before hitting the coast. We had rain through most of last week, which had begun to make connecting and staying online challenging. By Friday, it became clear that the cyclone was going to make landfall by late Sunday night. From Sunday afternoon onward, we began to have rain, and the winds began to gain speed by the evening. We woke up to heavy rainfall on Monday, and by 6.30 AM, the water level on the roads began to rise. We were at shin-deep water by then. In three hours, it became knee level, and by late afternoon, it reached stomach-deep. The rain DID NOT STOP! It just kept at it. Our devices began to shut down because of no charge, and the signal for phone calls, internet access, and text messages went south. This was particularly challenging because it meant that if we needed help, we had no way to call, and no one to call.

I must, however, appreciate our government and local corporation – they were so swift to act. In the areas closest to the coast, they dug pathways for the water to drain out of the city into the sea directly, so the cityscapes wouldn’t be clogged. This morning, we woke up to see that there wasn’t so much as a trace of water stagnating on the streets: That’s how phenomenal their labour has been. The power and internet is being restored as we speak – it seems to work in bursts and spurts before collapsing and starting up again – but I came in here on World Pulse to see so many of you having left messages of kindness, encouragement, and support. It means everything to have this solidarity and support at a time when you feel like you are alone.

And THIS, reminds me of exactly what I wanted to tell all of you the moment I got back online.

We’re set to celebrate this spirit of encouragement that World Pulse embodies: On December 7, 2023, at our Encourager Party! We’re so excited to bring this back, this time, with a new format and some fantastic stars being spotlighted. Join us to hear champion power encouragers Tamarack Verrall and Elizabeth Francis share about their experience as encouragers, and listen in to Story and Featured Initiative Award winners Achiri Constance, Gladys Muthara, Paulina Lawsin, and Rasika Sundaram. This is particularly exciting for Vaishnavi and me because we are marking our debut hosting the Encourager Party together – I think we’re following veterans Dawn Arteaga and Manasa Ram Raj who hosted it so brilliantly all those years!

Join us this Thursday – we can’t wait to see you there! To register, click here: https://www.worldpulse.org/events