I remember waking up that morning. August 4, 2020. There had been a crazy storm overnight, but I still felt well-rested. I had slept in. It was summer vacation. I remember lying in bed, on my phone, and my biggest concern was about what I would eat. I opened my door and I saw my mom. Her scared expression, panicked and alarmed, informed me that something was wrong. She told me that my grandma and uncle’s house collapsed, and she wanted me to go with her. 

When my mom told me, I was picturing a sinkhole in the house. I imagined the worst. I got in the car, still in my pajamas. They live close, so it was only a few minute drive. When we went outside, it was raining a lot harder than I imagined. My dad was already over there. The second it happened, my uncle called him, and my dad came rushing over. He brought a tarp. My uncle laughed. A whole side of the basement had caved. 

When I got there, I saw fire trucks. I heard voices. There wasn’t much they could do, because it was still raining. My dad and my uncle went downstairs to salvage some items, but they heard a bang and saw another wall come down. They ran back upstairs. Meanwhile, we brought my grandma to our house. I was still in my pajamas, and I could feel my clothes soaked in rainwater. Dripping wet, I got changed and tried to help as best I could. We got my grandma set up in my bedroom. I was shaking and hadn’t fully processed the situation, but I wanted to make her as comfortable as possible. My uncle came over later, after gathering some clothes and electronics. He set up in the guest room. 

Soon after they arrived at our house, we lost power. I remember standing in the garage, holding the flashlight, as my dad started the generator. I was smelling gasoline but looking at the rain. Everyone was frantic, trying to help as best they could. Between moments of chaos, it felt like we were visiting. It reminded me of when they would visit and we would play games. But with every bit of thunder, everyone jumped. They imagined the house collapsing all over again.