We here in the Mid South can certainly sympathize.
But when Memphis was hit with Hurricane Elvis back in 2003 hardly anyone sympathized. That's because few even heard about it:
It took two weeks to restore power to many of those who had lost it in the storm. Temperatures reached past 90°F (32°C) leaving many residents unprotected from dangerously hot conditions. Many Memphians were distressed that though they had survived hurricane-like conditions and weeks without power, little national news coverage was given to the event. Shelby County Mayor A.C. Wharton said in a CNBC interview that he was "Feeling a bit lonely, because it seems that from a national perspective it never happened. We suffered a 'dry-land hurricane'... yet we see on the national news over in Galveston, they got more coverage on a hurricane that never did occur." In contrast, less than a month later, national news coverage was extensive when New York City residents were left without power for a few hours.This was in the days before Katrina but Memphis is a lot like New Orleans in many ways. Not sure whether Mayor Wharton (the other A.C.) was trying to sneakily bring a racial angle in at the time, but he might have been.
Regardless, the McCloud household was lucky--we were only without power for five and a half days, many lost it for weeks. The damage in east Memphis looked every bit like a hurricane--snapped power poles and huge oaks laying on downed lines everywhere. And that was five days afterwards when we finally got in the car and took a sightseeing trip. So yes, we feel for Omaha residents putting up with spoiling food and summer heat at this time. We know what's it's like. It's also a good reminder to restock the home emergency kit.
