Over thousands of years, water has slowly created its own path – our rivers, creeks, streams, they all are a result of hundreds to thousands of years of erosion. Water has created canyons of massive beauty where millennia of rock formations are exposed and we can see the history of the earth. We can see where water flowed around obstacles more resistant to erosion to find an easier path.

The year 2025 also has shown us the power of water that does not flow peacefully over millennia but that comes in a single storm or multiple storms seemingly back-to-back. Building on prior years, including 2024 with Hurricane Helene that devastated Western North Carolina in a place that was thought to be safe from tropical storms, this spring and summer has brought as-yet uncounted amounts of damage and now hundreds of deaths.

This post is not to finger point, but to remind us all of the force of water and the need to be aware.

No one chooses to be stranded. Some may make an unwise decision to try to beat the water. What we all need to remember is the power of water. We need water to live, but we must respect her. We may need to quickly get out of her path.

There are many investigations around the world into the issues around flooding and how we can better reduce the risk and warn the people. Smart people will bring forward sound solutions that we can choose to (or not) invest in.

This month, too, we mourn those who were lost.