Natural Forces
A natural force is a power brought on by nature. Natural forces, unlike those of other powers, are uncontrollable. When a hurricane passes along the coast, a bolt of lightning strikes a rooftop, and a volcano erupts, these are all examples of natural forces. Natural forces can have devastating effects on wildlife, humans, and the earth itself. Our effects to resist these occurrences, our only way to cope with such devastating forces of nature are to observe, learn, and prepare ourselves for the worst. I believe that almost everyone has had at least one experience with natural forces. My experience of a tremendous force of nature occurred when my mother and I were in a car and all of a sudden a twister passed through the town.
Towards the end of 1989, my family and I were on vacation in Fort Myers, Florida. We drove from Trenton, New Jersey all the way to Florida where my grandfather lived. It was a long trip to undergo, especially being six years old and knowing that my father never stopped the car. By the time we arrived at Fort Myers, it was a beautiful sunny day. The wind was gusting enough to pull my hair back, and I was admiring the palm trees, coconuts, and lizards near the Gulf of Mexico. The first few days were nice, but little did I know that I would soon be caught in the middle of a twister.
I can clearly remember being in the car on a humid day with a little overcast. We were driving in the car when all of a sudden the wind started to pick up and it started raining a bit. Within five minutes, the weather progressed and there was so much wind blowing around the car that we could no longer hear the radio. I can remember when I saw a stop sign spinning in circles like a “merry-go-round'; with electrical problems. I do not remember how my mother got us home so quickly and where we were because all around us was a thick gray fog. However, all I can recall from that point on was sitting with my head in my lap in the back seat of the car. I never witnessed the true power of nature until this incident.
There was definitely a lesson to be learned from my experience that day in the car.
Once there was, as never before, a hurricane of great might and strength. As never before, there once was a hurricane of many names: storm, cyclone, tempest, typhoon, and flood. Yet it has lived on in history as the Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900. Humanity has glorified and immortalized the hurricane. The Great Galveston Hurricane has been the subject of numerous articles, novels, plays, and poems, as well as four major nonfiction studies (Longshore). It is truly one of hurricane lore’s greatest of storms.
It was a warm rainy June night the humidity was high which made it even harder to breathe on the crammed boat. My family was asleep on the constantly rocking boat suddenly the boat shook, but my family was still fast asleep. I couldn’t seem to fall asleep so I got up and stepped out on the cold wet steel boats upper deck to get some air. When I got outside I realized that it was pouring bucket sized rain. I saw increasingly large waves crash furiously against the lower deck. Hard water droplets pelted my face, I could taste the salt water in my mouth from the spray of the ocean. Suddenly A massive wave slammed hard against the ship and almost swallowed the boat. Wind gusts started kicking up. I held onto the rail grasping it as if it were my prized possession. Suddenly I was blown
As my family and I were enjoying watching our family-friends continue to win in the Little League World Series, we were hearing news of a possible historical storm preparing to hit the gulf coast. The Ewa Beach team, with my Uncle Clint as a coach and his son Ty, continued to win and the Louisiana team stuck around. Even though they were out of the tournament, it was decided that it was not safe for them to go back yet. Ewa Beach went back to Hawaii as World Champions, while Louisiana eventually boarded the flight home unsure of what they would see. Damages and Description:
Thunder rolled intensely outside, my aunt, mother, sister and I were sat calmly in the basement. We had been through this many times before; I mean afterall, Kansas was part of Tornado Alley. 2. My sister and I were young when this happened, her probably four or five, me about eight. 3. Before we had even started driving to my aunt’s house; since she’s the only one with a basement; my sister and I were complaining about being hungry. 4. Mom said she would get us something to eat soon, but then the sirens started blaring. 5. She called my aunt and told her we would be over in about ten minutes. 6. Me and my sister continued to complain about being hungry because, we always had to get what we wanted. 7. So my mom stopped at McDonald’s and got us some food. 8. After we were almost five minutes later than we said we would be my aunt panicked. 9. Jenny, my aunt, was calling like crazy. 10. When we finally got to her house she lectured my mom about how it wasn’t safe to have us out there like that with a tornado in the area. 11.Afterwards, we all sat on the porch and watched the storm. 12. That’s my favorite memory with my family, and it’s one I’ll never forget.
A year before my encounter, my sister Faith and I were behind our house about a mile deep into the woods. We were playing hide and go seek, and iit was my turn to find her! I couldn’t find her anywhere and then thats when I saw the bush. It looked trampled so I ran to it, only to find my twelve year old sister lying in the snow in a puddle of her own blood. Her throat was ripped open, it looked like a wild animal had taken a bite out of her.
Most people experience dramatic events that demonstrate to them just how fragile life is. Whether these events are acts of gruesome violence, or deaths of a loved ones, the frailty of life is evident. However, for me, this was a different story. As a southern white-boy, my realization came in the most unexpected of places – the Hawaiian Islands. When I learned of a snorkeling trip mid-vacation, I was overcome with anticipation and couldn’t wait to embark on my “Pacific Pilgrimage.” This vacation would prove to be a dramatic turning point in my life.
In the book Written on the Heart: The Case for Natural Law, J. Budziszewski, approaches the question of government through nature and its limits. This book informs the reader on how natural law plays a role in answering political and ethical questions. This is done by review of four major philosophers and their works. In the following few pages we will focus on his review of Thomas Aquinas, and how his catholic faith affected his understanding of natural law as he understood the works of Aristotle.
National Geographic. "Forces of Nature -- National Geographic." Environment Facts, Environment Science, Global Warming, Natural Disasters, Ecosystems, Green Living - National Geographic. National Geographic. Web. 13 Apr. 2011.
For nearly ten years, Miami has not seen hurricane landfall. This fact may be troubling to those who are inclined to believe, whether through superstition or scientific knowledge, that one is bound to occur anytime now It may be pleasing news for those who have not had to suffer the destruction of these weather-beasts in ten years. Nostalgia, however, is my overwhelming reaction to the topic of hurricanes. I am taken back to candle-lit evenings tinged a mixture two parts electric fear one part mystic coziness.
A couple of years ago during one of those, on a whim after spending a few days in Arches National Park, my wife and I detoured to the snowy, icy south rim of the Grand Canyon. We journeyed toward it from the east side but got turned back at the National Parks’ gate; the road was snowed under from there on up. After retracing our steps, we traveled down to Flagstaff and spent the night, driving in my four by four truck up to the South Rim the next day. It was an eerie experience to stand on the edge of the South Rim and see only cloud; fog shrouded the canyon’s great gap, leaving us with visual doubts that anything was really there. Defeated, we hit the Visitor’s Center and gathered information so we could go back sometime in the spring or fall with weather more to our liking.
We drove for what felt like forever; Traffic was backed up for hours and it took us twice as long to get to a safe place than normal. We finally ended up in Arkansas and found a safe hotel. On August 29, 2005 the category 5 hurricane hit my hometown. I remember sitting on the hotel bed helplessly watching the news as the hurricane was taking place; all I could think about was if my dad and grandpa were ok. I was finally able to talk to my dad on the phone for a little while, and I can remember hearing the howling of the wind, and the claps of thunder and lightning in the background. I was terrified of what was going to happen; thinking back now I wish I would have never known. A couple of days passed and on August 31, 2005 we decided it was time to come home, and prepare ourselves for the damage done and the long road to
rainstorm, and was positive one was coming. The wind started to howl, so strong that it
With music blasting, voices singing and talking, it was another typical ride to school with my sister. Because of our belated departure, I went fast, too fast. We started down the first road to our destination. This road is about three miles long and filled with little hills. As we broke the top of one of the small, blind hills in the middle of the right lane was a dead deer. Without any thought, purely by instinct I pulled the wheel of the car to the left and back over to the right. No big deal but I was going fast. The car swerved back to the left, to the right, to the left. Each time I could feel the car scratching the earth with its side. My body jolted with the sporadic movements of the car. The car swerved to the right for the last time. With my eyes sealed tight, I could feel my body float off the seat of the car.
I recall in vivid detail the scenery around us as we embarked on our perilous journey down the Nantahala. We arrived at the drop-off point in the early afternoon the next day. The sweet smell of fresh pine trees was floating in the air and a soft midsummer breeze was brushing against our faces. After receiving directions and safety precautions from our rafting instructor, we geared up, boarded our raft, and set out for our voyage down the treacherous Nantahala. Sharing the experience with me were my mother, aunt, uncle, and cousin; along with out rafting guide. We were all ready for a fun and safe ride down the Nantahala.
I learned with that incident that I should never take my life for granted because in one instinct my life could be gone. One major lesson I learned through this experience or accident is that life is way too short to be worried and stressed out all of the time, since I am still young I want to go and have fun but also be safe while having fun. Through this one experience I will never forget that I could have died or I could have gotten more injured than I actually did. I really never thought that much of texting and driving because I would pass by cars, and it would never really affect me but after that one afternoon if I see a person texting and driving, I usually honk my horn or I get as far away as I can from that person. Finally the last major lesson I learned is to never text and