Sheesh, Some people!

3 September 04

Some people have told me...What's so bad about a storm and some wind?  Well let's see...

I've compiled a small list of things that go along with the preparations and the effects of this "storm and some wind".

First there is the threat of a hurricane. This can come as early as 5 days out. At the first announcement of a possible strike and preparations start churning. Everyone hits every store for emergency hurricane supplies. Shelves where batteries, flashlights, canned goods, and bottled water, generators, and ply wood used to sit, are now empty. The only sign that they were ever there is the price sticker on the shelves. You have to keep going back on a daily basis...sometimes hourly the closer you get to zero hour...hoping that maybe you can get that one package of D-Cell batteries you need to power your only radio.

It's interesting to see the "extra effort" that goes into the store personnel right before the storm. I think all your grocery stores and home improvement stores bring in extra staff to help keep the shelves stocked. I know they get emergency shipments of all hurricane supplies. I went to work yesterday and all the guys were frantically calling all the hardware stores for generators. When one guy chimes in, "oh, I heard so and so store is supposed to get more in today", you would think it was the end of the world when they all went running to their phones to call the store up, only to be let down when the store tells them they just sold the last one. 

Once you get all your supplies, you need to organize everything and start packing--in case you are told to evacuate. Once that call comes, evacuation is a nightmare. Take for example, this storm. Imagine residents from Miami all the way up to Flagler beach told to evacuate. Yes, they stagger the evacuations, but there is never enough time to get everyone out before the next group evacuates. So, you are left with a traffic jam from the southern tip of Florida all the way out to Georgia. (2.5 million people all jammed on I-95 trying to get out of the state). That's what it was like yesterday, and carries on through today. Though they haven't called for our evacuation of our area, we still must wade through all this traffic to get to work. If you are unlucky enough to be a part of the evacuation, you just hope you can avoid the storm, or hope your car can provide you with enough protection.

I've known a few people who actually got caught in Hurricane Hugo a few years back. They were driving up I-95, all was clear, everything fine. Then, a minute later, the blackness, wind and rain. No one could see in front of them enough to drive, let alone drive straight from the cross winds. So, everyone pulled over to the side and waited it out. It was quick and when people finally got back on the road to driving, they couldn't go more than a few feet before the they had to stop again because of trees blocking the roads. Luckily a few of the evacuees brought chain saws with them. :P

Ok, once you are on the road, you have the traffic to deal with, the shortage of gasoline, the lack of hotel rooms, and the price gouging that goes on. Good luck to ya!

It's WHAT the wind is blowin'!

Speaking of downed trees...have you heard of Ron White, the comedian on the Blue Collar Comedy Tour? Well he has a skit about a guy who is a runner. He says he can still run even if the wind is blowing at 65mph (or something like that). But Ron White says..."It's not THAT the wind is blowin'. It's WHAT the wind is blowin'." Although this may be funny, it's true. The wind can take an innocent blade of grass and make it a deadly projectile. Every piece that is not nailed down will become airborne in hurricane force winds. And with the saturation of the ground (it's been an unseasonable rainy last couple of months) trees will be easily ripped from the ground.

Downed trees, power lines and houses. Uprooted cars, boats, planes. All remnants of the storm, be it the winds from the hurricane or the tornadoes spawned from it. Tornadoes are the worst part of this whole thing. I dread the tornadoes. There is no warning. There is no projected path. It has a will of it's own, like the hurricane, but much faster!

Storm Surge, Rains and floods!

As with any hurricane, you will always have rains! If you live close to any body of water, you will always be blessed with the rising tides, storm surge and flooding from the rains. Inland, depending on your drainage, you will undoubtedly encounter areas where flooding causes a problem. And rain, rain, rain, no matter where you are!

Since we have been a part of 3 tropical cyclones in as many weeks, we have had constant rain. The ground has been so saturated. Just what we need, more rain. About a week ago, a truck was driving down the highway, when an oak tree just fell on the truck and killed 2 of the guys in it. Talk about a total freak accident!