San Diego Fires Wind Down Leaving Damaged Property And Imprinted Kids
Del Mar, CALIFORNIA — The last refugees were leaving San Diego’s famous Qualcomm stadium Friday as the home of the Chargers was becoming….well, the home of the Chargers. The game against the Houston Texans would start as scheduled at 1 p.m. Sunday.
This was a symbolic moment: the devastating fires that caused more than $1 billion in property damage in San Diego County — with nearly a billion more in damages elsewhere in Southern California — had FINALLY given firefighters and residents an apparent breather and raised hopes that it signaled a chance to return to normalcy. Two words about that: fat chance.
Earlier this week Mommy Nature had a fit and there were fires amid fierce Santa Ana winds temperatures. But by Friday Mommy Nature had calmed down. It was damp — and the winds died down faster than a debate hall after Presidential debates have ended.
In media imagery terms, to some the story was starting to wind down.
Perhaps…but not really. Because this is part of a series of events that are impacting — and imprinting a new generation. And even as an event, it is far from even STARTING to be over.
Up the I-5, the historic Del Mar Fairgrounds told a different story about the saga of the fires that scorched 810 square miles, more than twice the size of New York City.
The 40 year old stadium had been relatively accessible for volunteers wanting to get in and help and for media types wanting to see how displaced families were faring and file reports. But security was tight at the fairgrounds. Once it was announced that Qualcomm was going to close fire refugees and their families it was announced that people were allowed to go back to their homes (if they still had them) or at least go back and collect valuables until their areas were open.. So Del Mar became the prime refugee center in San Diego County.
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4 Responses to “San Diego Fires Wind Down Leaving Damaged Property And Imprinted Kids”
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I’ve rarely read a news account displaying such sensitivity to both the victims and the situation.
It’s quite a worthy achievement !!!
Watching coverage on CNN and the like, I’ve been struck by the eerie similarity among those of the affteced who were interviewed. Resigned and calm, one and all. I’m in no way complaining, but it begins to seem unnatural, knowing how differently people in the same situation can react, and they usually do react differently.
I have no idea what this means, but it’s striking.
domajot, your observation is accurate. What you are seeing may be because often in the early aftermath, the psyche is numbed as a protective mechanism. People often don’t at first realize they are numbed. The numbness wears off at varying speeds for each person; then, often weeks later, the psyche emerges in fuller clarity…and pain. That’s for most, well after the cameras go home.
Right now, most persons are walking, weeping, inquiring, working, planning, even laughing, but that sameness you note, for many, is from being in a head down ‘gathering oneself to the center’ position in order just to single-mindedly keep going
dr.e
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