Tuesday, September 03, 2019
Dorian
It has been mesmerizing and scary to watch Hurricane Dorian hovering over the Bahamas, not far from Florida. I have never been through a hurricane, though-- it seems like there is nothing else like it.
My deepest impression of it is from a book that Prof. Joanne Braxton assigned when I was in college: Zora Neal Hurston's "Their Eyes Were Watching God," which contains a depiction of the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane from the perspective of people living in dwellings never meant to withstand that kind of storm. For some reason, that scene sunk into my bones, and that is what I see and feel when I think about a hurricane.
Right now it is storming here in Minnesota, lightning and hard rain, but it is a flea compared to the cobra of a hurricane. Our storms, at worst, are softened by the cold to snow that drifts and billows.
I hope that the storm goes back to sea. Perhaps it will.
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for an account of the Great Galveston Storm of 1900 that is both scholarly and engrossing to the non-scholarly reader - check out "Isaac's Storm" by Erik Larson. One of those I'm-so-disappointed-I'm-finished-with-it books.
Jill - pretty sure I read "Isaac's Storm". I concur, a very good read.
In 2018 we experienced 2 hurricanes in Durham NC. Yep 2 1/2 hours inland from Wilmington. Hurricane Florence brought us endless rain and very little wind. After huge rains you just hope there is not big wind. Especially when you live in the woods surrounded by 100 foot tall trees. Hurricane Michael, the monster that leveled Mexico Beach and the panhandle of Florida passed directly over our house. The wind was incredible when it reached us. Sustained, not gusting, for far too long and one of those trees did come a tumbling down. Missed our house by about 5 feet. Measured it was an oak over 100 feet tall. The upper level of our home is our main level as we are built on a slope. I spent most of that day downstairs waiting for the worst.
So the funny thing is we have a home in one block off the Old Tampa Bay. It is 100 years old and has weathered an unknown number of storms. We have a 100+ year old live oak that hangs over the house and yard. We have stayed there during many 'minor' hurricanes (Cat 1 and 2). It seems strange to think a Cat 2 is minor. We are positioned on a small rise that for some reason protects us. We can have 30 mile an hour winds at the house and walk down to the bay and be in 60 mile an hour winds.
I have learned to respect each storm. They are unique just as each day in life is unique. I can not imagine sitting in the eye of a storm for almost 2 days; especially one with 180 mph winds. Terrifying.
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In 2018 we experienced 2 hurricanes in Durham NC. Yep 2 1/2 hours inland from Wilmington. Hurricane Florence brought us endless rain and very little wind. After huge rains you just hope there is not big wind. Especially when you live in the woods surrounded by 100 foot tall trees. Hurricane Michael, the monster that leveled Mexico Beach and the panhandle of Florida passed directly over our house. The wind was incredible when it reached us. Sustained, not gusting, for far too long and one of those trees did come a tumbling down. Missed our house by about 5 feet. Measured it was an oak over 100 feet tall. The upper level of our home is our main level as we are built on a slope. I spent most of that day downstairs waiting for the worst.
So the funny thing is we have a home in one block off the Old Tampa Bay. It is 100 years old and has weathered an unknown number of storms. We have a 100+ year old live oak that hangs over the house and yard. We have stayed there during many 'minor' hurricanes (Cat 1 and 2). It seems strange to think a Cat 2 is minor. We are positioned on a small rise that for some reason protects us. We can have 30 mile an hour winds at the house and walk down to the bay and be in 60 mile an hour winds.
I have learned to respect each storm. They are unique just as each day in life is unique. I can not imagine sitting in the eye of a storm for almost 2 days; especially one with 180 mph winds. Terrifying.
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