The Aftermath

"Chief, where do we go during a tornado?" I was a Junior year maritime student, working a couple of weeks onboard a pierside ship in Norfolk, VA when a tornado warning came through in the middle of the night. "You're safe onboard the ship", the Chief Engineer replied. Florida has received its bouts of weather misfortune in recent years, but Hurricane Milton appears to be the worst. The rrcovery efforts are overshadowed by political news during this election season, but the individual and collective efforts of cleanup and recovery must go on. One thing I noticed was the frequent reminder online that Merchant Mariner Credentials could be replaced free of charge if required. While it is recommended to bring your important papers - and licenses- when you evacuate home, unforseen circumstances do happen. Florida is home to many American deep sea mariners, for various reasons (taxation, and being home to deep sea ports and mariner training centers), so Hurricane Milton's personal impact follows to sea. This is the time of year when established mariners seek to be at sea, in order to be home for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. I have not heard reports, but I would surmise that many mariners are eager to take a leave of absence to make sure their homes and families are okay. As much as utility crews and building contractors were lined up, waiting for the storm to pass, mariners 'on the beach' should be willing to pitch in. This could mean helping a co-worker clean up their home, or to fill in a short hitch at sea. Let us know how we can help.