The Axel: I would do a story on how Hurricane Ida impacted parts of Pennsylvania, including the most hard-hit areas like the Philly suburbs. It is important to tell the stories of those affected, how they are handling the aftermath, and what they are hopeful for when moving forward.
The Riders: The best people to tell this story are those who were directly affected by flooding, property damage, etc. or who have experienced severe hurricanes in the past. These people (homeowners, store managers, etc.) will be able to provide first hand accounts of the events that they experiences, offering emotion and detail to the story. Additionally, I think it would be helpful to talk with meteorologists from the hard-hit areas to gather a better understanding of how strong the storm was and how people can prepare for similar storms in the future.
The Spokes: To highlight the extent of the damage and its effect on people, it would be most appropriate to collect footage of hard-hit areas (trees down, power lines broken, high water levels) to show the audience what a community can look like after a powerful hurricane. Additionally, interviews with those families or individuals who lost a great deal from the storm will provide content and sound, while offering emotion which will make the story feel urgent and like something that could happen to anyone. From a meteorologists perspective, which I mentioned earlier, it would be beneficial to conduct an interview about their role in tracking the storm and how they alert people to potential threats, danger, and damage. They would be able to offer a degree of scientific explanation that could highlight trends in severe weather or explain why strong storms, like Ida, bring such harmful conditions.
The Rim:
- Beginning- I would open my story with shots of damage and flooding, and then transition into shots of each person who I spoke with who was affected by the storm.
- Middle- The middle would share the stories of each person, their experiences, and how they are moving forward. The meteorologists perspective would also fit in here, offering insight and explanation to severe storms.
- Ending- The story would close with each persons hope for the future and how they will get back on their feet after the storm. I want the end to be uplifting and hopeful, since flooding and sever weather are serious and potentially deadly topics.