On early morning drives, I find myself marveling at the gorgeous colors in the sunrise. It’s as if the Good Lord took a paintbrush, dipped it in vivid scarlets and pinks and painted the skies, just to create a beautiful start to the day.

It’s unbelievable how quickly nature can go from majestic to malevolent.

That’s exactly what happened in Fort Bend County when over 20 inches of rain drenched our area in less than two days, bringing havoc, apprehension and devastation.

Yet in 2010 and 2011, Texas was in the midst of one of the worst droughts in the state’s history. I remember walking around our yard and seeing gaping ruts where the ground had separated due to a lack of water.

I never checked the weather report when planning something outside because it hadn’t rained in over three years. When the rains came back, I opened the umbrella I kept in my car, and it had dry rotted.

Now we flinch at the sound of thunder, and we keep our thumbs on our phone’s weather app, not because we’re secretly meteorologists. We know first-hand the blows Mother Nature can deliver when we least expect it.

No matter where you live, there’s issues with the weather. Growing up in New York State, I think about bundling up in a snow suit, snow boots, a scarf and gloves from November to April.

I can still picture my dad with a snow shovel, making a path to get the family car out of the driveway.

A Southern boy through and through, my dad finally decided he’d had enough, and he moved us all to Louisiana.

Welcome to hurricane season.

I remember riding in the back seat with my family through Gulfport, Miss. and seeing a line of palm trees slanted to the side. Dad said Hurricane Betsy had caused that damage, and I was awed at the power Mother Nature possessed.

Still because there wasn’t a major hurricane when I was in my teens, I didn’t take the storms as seriously as I should have. It wasn’t until Hurricane Allison slammed into Houston that I saw exactly how a few days of violent, unrelenting rain could turn peoples’ lives upside down.

My aunt and her family were flooded out of their house one year, and I can still picture her in her driveway, tears streaming down her face, as she watched her family photos, furniture and belongings floating in the flood waters of the Comite River.

So when Hurricane Katrina hit the New Orleans area and people came to Texas, I saw that same lost look in their eyes that I’d seen in my aunt’s.

Desolation. Hopelessness. Fear.

I hoped I’d never see those emotions again as communities made strides after Allison and Katrina to put in bigger and better pumping stations, and the weather models became more and more sophisticated. We’re usually not surprised by huge storms, but Mother Nature can be a crafty witch.

We saw this rain storm coming, but few of us realized just how powerful the system was and how hard it would affect families here in our area.

But we’ll dry out, rebuild and start over. As they always do, firefighters, police officers, EMS personnel and community and Red Cross volunteers will rally, take care of those affected by the storm and make sure no one’s left without food or shelter.

People whose homes are dry will take in neighbors and relatives until they can return to their houses. The gumbo, enchiladas, kolaches and chili will flow and the best in people will be revealed.

That’s what we do, as many times as it takes for as many people who need help.

And one morning, when I see clear skies and a beautiful sunrise, I’ll stay positive that we’ll overcome and be stronger than ever. All the proof I need is in the faces of the survivors.

This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald.