During Hurricane Ian, the expectation was for downtown Tampa to be completely flooded by an overflow of forceful waters. The normal height of the water is indicated by the dark areas of the bottom half of the ledge and sea wall [on the right].
Yet, the waters receded exposing the rocky formation beneath the ledge of the sea wall. The explanation given by the meteorologists is one that is not logical. With concerted effort, humanity will always attempt to explain the unexplainable rather than defer to the power of God.
Also, the prediction of Hurricane Ian’s path did not come to fruition. Not only was downtown Tampa not flooded by Hurricane Ian, but there was also a change in its path. NPR news states, “The “cone of uncertainty” is the tool forecasters use to illustrate a hurricane’s likely path — and that title has been particularly apt for Hurricane Ian, whose predicted track has fluctuated by hundreds of miles as it developed into a dangerous storm.”
My original plan of evacuation was to travel to the Orlando/Ocala area for refuge. But the unexpected happened! On 9/27, Ian was downgraded to a tropical storm [changed its path] and then began making its way across Florida, toward the east coast–Orlando and Kissimmee. Before reaching Orlando, the city of Palm Bay [mostly residential areas] would be hit first by Ian with 40-50 mph winds and catastrophic flooding.
On Wednesday morning [9/28], I read Psalm 91 and began praying fervently for the city of Palm Bay and the quiet community where I reside. We were also under a tornado watch with the prediction of an electrical power outage with an unknown duration. While watching ABC’s news coverage of the path of Tropical Storm Ian, suddenly the storm shifted to the extreme left and bypassed our city, headed toward Orlando.
I lifted up prayers of thanksgiving to God for diverting the storm. My adrenaline was high and I couldn’t sleep, yet, my spirit was calm. At midnight, I opened my door slightly to watch the aggressive, howling southeasterly winds bending the tall trees as if they were bowing down to the Creator. The parking lot was covered with hundreds of broken branches, yet, there was no rain and the tornado warning ceased.
Update: It is Thursday, September 29th, at 5:30 pm. Although we experienced heavy rains, the city of Palm Bay was not flooded, the tornado never surfaced, and our homes and vehicles did not sustain any damage. Early afternoon, we had wind gusts of 40-50 mph that caused a temporary loss of electrical power for 15 minutes. The current temperature is 68 degrees, it is raining, but a peaceful calm exists.
“The righteous person faces many troubles, but the LORD comes to the rescue each time.” (Psalm 34:19)
I have been praying for one week asking for God’s divine intervention to save us from the devastation of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Ian. When we pray in faith and include God’s promises in our prayers, He will never fail us. Witnessing the supernatural gives us a deeper insight into the love of God. And then we thank God and testify of His goodness to others.
When speaking to my neighbor this morning, he expressed his amazement that the predicted destruction from the storm bypassed our city. I was able to witness by sharing the Omnipotence of our faithful and loving Heavenly Father who always keeps His promises.
Although Satan is wreaking havoc with storms, disease, and famines, he is limited to only what God allows. This is [and has always been] our Father’s world!
Prayer: God, we thank You for the privilege to seek You through prayer 24/7. Your promise to keep us safe in Psalm 91 was demonstrated during the storm. We give You praise, honor, and glory. Lord, we pray for those who have been displaced by the hurricane. We ask for the restoration of their losses and to give them peace and the courage to restart their lives. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
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