#850STRONG

That is the rallying cry of the Florida panhandle.  Driving through miles and blocks of mangled wires, big old beautiful trees broken like match sticks and metal buildings curled like ribbon, the slogan #850STRONG began appearing. Not in defiance really, but with the kind of strength that pulls one up and out.  And then a neighborhood. And then a town. And then a county.  The area code for Bay County is 850.

Strong is an interesting word. It expresses sheer physical power and basic spiritual certainty.

It is having the power to move heavy weights and perform physically demanding tasks. We see this every day in the destruction and chaos.  We see it even more so in the order being brought back into being by so many able people. The streets opening and the power going on in an orderly if not instantaneous fashion and trash being picked up sort of regularly, herald the returning normalcy. 

Strong is the ability to withstand great force or pressure. Some trees are still standing and some houses are whole. The community standing together is the true strength in the face of force and pressure. It is an enormous strength.

Strong is having moral or intellectual power. It is the choice and will to get up get out and start immediately to make points of refuge for others. The decision to man the brigades unloading semis of food and water so graciously and generously sent from all over and the thought to provide a visible and accessible point of distribution within thirty-six hours of the storm are indeed a quiet moral strength.

"The keynote to handling any areas to BRING ORDER. ... Ignore the confusion. It is transitory. Order is not." said L. Ron Hubbard. He founded the Scientology Volunteer Ministers for this purpose, and in the Florida panhandle we see their work through the work of the Churches of Scientology Disaster Response team.

Strong is having the ability to exert and control power and force. Yes. 850 is strong!