Delawareans helping with Harvey, Irma recovery make us proud: Editorial

The devastating one-two punch of hurricanes Harvey and Irma has left millions of Americans suffering in a shockingly wide swath of the south.

The scale of the destruction is a clear call to action for those of us outside the disaster zone. Fortunately, many Delawareans have already answered.

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Members of the Delaware National Guard flew down to Texas to help in the aftermath of Harvey. Their efforts included transporting 31 emergency workers, moving more than 24 tons of cargo and evacuating 214 people to safety.

"This is the National Guard at its best," said Maj. Gen. Carol Timmons, the DNG's leader.

We agree.

Column:The lessons you learn from hurricanes

For Irma, Delmarva Power and Atlantic City Electric sent 70 employees and 180 contractors to help restore power for the millions in Florida without it.

This is dangerous work in the middle of hazardous debris and live power lines. But it will be an enormous blessing to the people of Florida, and it may very well save lives.

We could spend this whole space listing local groups that pitched in for storm relief, from high schools to blood banks. And that doesn't count the individual people who have donated to relief organizations in the days after these storms.

We need to keep it up. In the areas that were hardest hit by these storms, the cleanup and recovery will take years of exhausting work. Months from now, consider donating to groups that are rebuilding homes and businesses, and consider volunteer trips where you can help rebuild personally — it is rewarding work and it can be life-changing for those who lost everything.

These hurricanes will spur some difficult conversations. There will inevitably be controversy over how much of the tab for rebuilding — which will be in the hundreds of billions of dollars — should be borne by U.S. taxpayers. Many are calling for major changes to the National Flood Insurance Program, which they argue is encouraging people to continue building in dangerous, flood-prone areas.

And we’re going to have to grapple with the fact that global warming, while it may not have caused the hurricanes, almost certainly contributed to their massive size and power.

As we tackle these difficult problems, though, it is worth remembering the lesson the storm response teaches us: we’re all in this together.

Delaware went for Hillary Clinton, while both Texas and Florida went for President Donald Trump. And it’s worth remembering Hurricane Sandy, when folks from the deep-red South did their part to help residents of deep-blue New York and New Jersey.

At the end of the day, the only identities that really matter are “American” — and “fellow human being.”

The News Journal's editorial opinions are decided by its editorial board, which is separate from the news staff.