Last night was a sleepless night for many residents in Beirut. Around 3 AM, the city woke up to its first thunderstorm since the August 4 explosion.
People lied awake shaken by the deafening sounds crashing from the sky. After every flash of light, they recoiled at the loud boom that sent them back to that traumatic event.
Mustering up the courage to face the next massive rumble, residents found comfort in knowing they were not alone when they took to social media to share their thoughts and experiences:
They were sure it was another explosion, but it was just thunder:
“Earphones in, sound on” to avoid the fearful flashbacks…
They realized the unknown extent of their trauma:
Even the pets didn’t take it well…
Even those who normally like thunder had a hard time getting through the night:
I usually enjoy thunder, but today, it was clear how much PTSD I have from the Beirut explosion.
— Mohammad Hijazi (@mhijazi) November 2, 2020
Remembering whose fault it is that they were even awake and afraid:
There was nothing to do but be reassured that everything was okay:
Obviously, the people in Beirut haven’t healed from the trauma of the explosion that is too fresh in their mind, especially that there have been other incidents that followed, and nothing from the authority to reassure them that things are under control, that the criminals of the explosion were caught, and that they are safe in their city.
