A Sinking City?

A recent Washington Post article left me simply feeling sad. The article was about our old home city of Norfolk, Virginia and focused on the growing flooding problem in the city. Norfolk is a city surrounded by water and is low lying with many places being barely above sea level. It stands to reason that the area floods; I remember the flooding all too well.While hurricanes, tropical storms or Northeasters were reason to worry, a simple heavy afternoon rain storm was enough to cause the city's waterways to overflow, underpasses to flood and streets to become rivers. I quickly became adept at figuring out which streets were most prone to flooding and learned how to safely navigate from my downtown office to my house when the streets were flooded. But not everyone was so savvy. During our years in Norfolk I lost track of the number of times I saw cars floating in flooded underpasses. Yes, even under the best of conditions water was everywhere. It was simultaneously beautiful and scary but reminded me that despite all of our modern technology, Mother Nature was really in control.

Although we left Norfolk in 2010 I knew the water problem was only getting worse but I didn't realize just how quickly the problem was growing. And then I saw the article. Norfolk's water problems are two fold. First, normal tides in Hampton Roads have risen an average of 1 1/2 feet over the past century, reflecting an increase that is higher than the rest of the East Coast. (But the entire East Coast has been designated as a sea level rise hot spot). Secondly, Norfolk is actually sinking. Yes, sinking. 35 million years ago a meteor hit the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay creating a crater that is now slowly consuming Norfolk. Simply put, all of this water does not bode well for a city whose existence has always revolved around the sea.

But the Post article struck a particular chord with me when I saw the Reverend of the church we were married in talking about how the flooding problem was forcing her church to seek a new physical home. This made my heart lurch. The beautiful old Unitarian Universalist Church sits on the edge of the Hague, a basin of water abutting what I consider to be the most beautiful part of the city. The thought of this church, which holds such special memories for me, being flooded out was simply so sad. Water was a problem when we got married and I feared flooding on our rainy wedding day but fortunately for us, on that April day the water never overflowed the banks like I had seen it do so many times before.

Despite the vocal minority who still denies its existence, global warming is at the root of these water problems. Throwing a lot of money at the problem may offer short term solutions for today's Norfolk residents but it won't stop the ever increasing presence of the rising water. I don't want to sound like a fatalist but it would appear that there really isn't a long term solution to the problem. Mother Nature really is in charge. And while I believe her force is awe inspiring this dilemma makes me sad. Very very sad.

Spring Has Sprung

When you move on a regular basis you never know what each season will bring.  Chances are that summer and winter in your old location will not look or feel the same in your new home.  Locals, or at least those people who have experienced a seasonal cycle or two will tell you that this year's weather isn't normal, rather it is colder, wetter, hotter, drier, etc. than normal.  What does this really mean?  I mean what is normal weather like any way?

Greening Tirana foothills

Mother Albania surrounded by green

We're approaching the one year mark in Albania and with each new season have been told that the weather isn't what is used to be (can you say global warming????).  Summer was supposedly hotter than usual and this past winter was colder.  I don't know if this is true but summer did feel very hot and this past winter was a lot colder than I had expected.  I don't know what to anticipate in terms of weather any more.

Garden plants

Spring has officially been here for over a month but I think the weather is finally catching on.  Overnight the weather has turned from cold, gray, and rainy to bright, clear and sunny.  It feels as thought the entire country is undergoing an awakening after a long sleep.  Flowers in our yard are in full bloom (as are my allergies) and the mountains outside of Tirana are once again turning green.  The sky is a brilliant shade of azure blue and the air is crisp and clean.  The days are growing longer with sunlight filling both our early morning and late evening hours.  The sidewalk cafes are once again filled with lounging coffee drinkers and we've returned to our late afternoon ritual of going to the playground. 

And container gardening

I love the weather and am taking every opportunity I can to get out and enjoy it. And I must. Because before I know it summer will be upon us again with her stifling hot temperatures and smog filled air.  But like I said, in the mean time I'm going to enjoy it and get out and play.