Hurricane Sandy chased me out of my state, post happy things.
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Overusedname said:
Your Motto.
[HEADING=1]Stay classy!!! [/HEADING]
[HEADING=1]Stay classy!!! [/HEADING]
I'm here for you.
I was born in El Paso, but spent my pre-adolescent years in Galveston.
Other TRUE stories may not be as funny as what'not, but these're coming from a fellow Escapist who's been there/done that with hurricanes.
My family ran (when I was knee-high to a grasshopper) before hurricane Alvin (SP?), a Class 5 hurricane which filled the ENTIRE Gulf of Mexico and even scared the HELL out of my late father enough to lead him to scramble to take our family DEEP inland.
EVERYONE in Texas was lucky with hurricane Alvin. It sat in the Gulf and dwindled down to practically nothing before coming ashore.
I was there. I remember sitting (when I was a child) in the covered back of our family's pickup truck and watching one of our dogs pissing on a water cooler because we hadn't dared stop running up along Highway 6 (WHEN THE TRAFFIC WAS MOVING AT ALL!!!) for any of us to stop to empty our bladders.
That was Alvin.
Then came Alisha.
1983.
Alicia was the first billion-dollar tropical cyclone in Texas' history.
After Alvin, my Daddy decided that our family wasn't running before a hurricane again. There were six of us (I'm the 'baby') and we lasted the nightmare out.
Our house was a mere 6-8 miles from the coast. It didn't seem that short a distance from my too-young self's POV!
We lost power, of course. Fortunately--and this is something NE Americans who naturally don't have a lot of experience with hurricanes (though they're accustomed w/ blizzards)--we had candles and stored water. My late Daddy ALWAYS insisted we keep at least 10 gallons of potable water. NO-MATTER-WHAT!!!
Old school, he was...
Understand that we're talking about the "Gulf Coastal Plains" here. Unless you've ever been there the land is the definition of flat! The OFFICIALLY highest point in Houston County is the LANDFILL!
Growing up there I remember very well seeing miles from a mere OVERPASS--because the overpasses were the highest point for TEN and TWENTIES of MILES AROUND!!
When Alicia hit us She hit us hard. Very hard. This was Galveston Texas, we're talking about. In the early 20'th century, I understand, the UK paid it's Houston embassy/whatever personnel extreme "hardship duty" because it was SO MISERABLE to serve in 95% humidity in 95 degree F weather for 9 months out of the year before the invention of air conditioning.
TRIVIA: A native indian tribe lived in the Houston/Galveston region before-when: They were notorious for stinking so badly that even the other indian tribes avoided them unless they HAD to deal w/ them for trading purposes.
Why? The locals covered themselves with rancid alligator or crocodile fat (don't remember) to protect themselves from the mosquitoes.
After Alicia we went 9 days without power. That meant no running water either.
During the hurricane a random tornado hit our garage--which wasn't connected to our house. Yeah, I know what Mother Nature is capable of when She bothers to think that We Mere Mortals need a reminder that She is/shall always be In Charge!
I won't bore you with the little moment to moment/day to day miserable stories that are inherent with surviving a Coastal hurricane hit.
The North East is learning what that's like quite fast enough, oh yes!
BUT I DON'T GAZE DOWN MY NOSE AT THEM AS IF THEY WERE IGNORANT BARBARIANS, AND FOR GOOD REASON!!!
Sure, those of us from the South and Gulf Coast have PLENTY of experience in dealing with hurricanes and tornadoes, sure...
But it only takes 1 snow flake hitting the South East for EVERYTHING to go to hell in the blink of an eye!!!