the hits keep on comin' 2

["Walk this way?" photo cbc.ca]

Residents of High River, Alberta will have to wait for several more days before they can "walk this way." Elsewhere in Alberta, thousands of others are in the same boat, counting the days before they can resume a somewhat normal routine, perhaps feeling that a new normal is what lies ahead.

["Tough, wet times in Alberta" June 22, London Free Press]

And it does, in more ways than one for many people. The 'wild wet' West is not the only part of the world suffering consequences from unusual or extreme weather events and if news reports are accurate, the financial costs of such events are staggering. Some costs are covered by insurance companies but the majority are not.

["The bulk of the damage... isn't covered"

spokesperson, Insurance Bureau of Canada]

Such reports make me wonder, though economies of many nations produce fabulous lifestyles for some citizens, will they one day be burdened to the limit by damages from the growing number of extreme weather events? Will there come a time when human effort can no longer out work the weather?

["Today, i.e., 2013, we seem to be out working the weather"]

["But what about in 20 years? 30 years?"]  

According to some insurance analysts, if the hits keep on comin' in growing numbers, we will one day be involved in a financial collision - not entirely accidental - with Mother Nature, a mighty force we have toyed with for decades. Taller hip waders will not save the day.

Photos by GH

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