Rachel Woods- North Carolina

I grew up in Sonoma County CA, but now live in NC. While I keep one eye on our eastern coastline all summer for devastating tropical storms, I keep the other eye on the wildfires in Northern California. My parents and sister have had to evacuate three years in a row. I have had to calm my anxious niece over the phone as her mother frantically packs up the car in the middle of the night, trying not to sound terrified for them, but calm and hopeful.

My father has had to evacuate my mother, suffering from end stage breast cancer. While he contemplates the loss of his wife, he also has to prepare himself for the possibility of losing his home. The fires have closed in on Windsor, CA twice now. My father had to sweep embers from his back porch while watering his beloved bonsai plants before evacuating last summer.

Can't forget the pain meds. What to do with the cat? My mom can't sit long in a car, she's in so much pain, will the highway be open? She is thankfully still with us this year, but my Dad is exhausted from caring for her and I can't bear the idea that they will have to deal with fires again this summer, but the drought situation hasn't changed so... I'll keep one eye on on the Atlantic again this summer, one on California and we'll see if we get lucky 4 years in a row.