Translation of erwachen

A bystander who watched the entire scene all the time decided to help me. He was an older man, around seventy, but nonetheless he went to the oldest of these kids and slapped him. The boy was sixteen.
This kind of struggle is a 'projecting the guilt' one someone innocent. It has always existed, even today there is a large movement against foreigners in Europe and its support is frightening me.
I visited the Hurricane watch center's website on a hourly basis hoping it would just go away, bt hurricane Ivan was on a direct path to Havana. It did not stop my vacation plans and I left the office.