By Davide Frau, an EO South Florida member

I recently survived Hurricane Irma as she unleashed all the fury of a Category 5 storm on South Florida. Despite the mandatory evacuation order, I chose to stay through the storm, riding it out on the 9th floor of my Miami condominium building. I made it through better off than many of my fellow Floridians. While the catastrophe brought epic destruction in our state, it also brought clarity to me in unexpected ways. I’d like to share some of my insights.

In the days preceding the storm’s landfall, instead of preparing my presentation for an upcoming EO South Florida chapter event, I focused on preparing for Irma—a hurricane that was expected to be among the strongest and most destructive in U.S. history. Hysteria hit the streets, as the number of people looking for fuel, water, food and shelter seemed countless.