It usually starts about a week or so ahead of landfall when the weather man reports with greater frequency that a possible tropical depression has formed somewhere creating a more in tune daily vigilance . Suddenly the reports start showing maps and spaghetti graphs, and then the dreaded cone of probability that can bring either quiet relief or the need for preparation . No one wants to be the one that goes to the store to discover large area’s of empty shelves where water and toilet paper used to be or only have half a tank of gas when it becomes unavailable .
Some tell me the final long day waiting and listening to the weatherman is the worst part as it just grates the nerves to follow it’s path as it approaches hour after hour . I’m not so sure about that because at that point there is always the chance that at the last moment a slight change will cause total disruption to someone else’s life instead of ours . For me the worst part is when the power goes out and the wind howls so loud that it drowns out the sound of parts of neighbors homes being blown along the road and it’s difficult to hear pieces of the roof being ripped off.
Just before the latest arrived it was touted to likely be one of those ” Once in a Lifetime Storms ” and I knew exactly what that meant as I’ve experienced three of those “once in a lifetime storms” over the past twenty years . This time it was different . A shift caused us to once more find ourselves in the center of that cone and fifteen hours before the arrival of Milton we headed to the Florida Keys on empty roads because anyone evacuating had already done it the day prior. The four hour trip was interesting and brought us through the swamp on old rte. 41 during periods of bright skies and intense rain and a near miss by a tornado to arrive at our destination ….. a wonderful little resort of separate kitchenettes right on the water known as The Ragged Edge …. just like where I felt my life is lived .
The ride home after the storm was an anxious experience as we didn’t know what to expect when we got there. We took the Interstate back and shared it with literally hundreds of utility trucks sent by power companies all over the country . Along with the National Guard and other responders these guys are my hero’s and we gave the thumbs up to people from Missouri, Wisconsin , Louisiana, Idaho even Ontario Canada and my home state of N.H. and more as they all headed north from Miami . Once home we found a slightly messy yard and the power was on while 35 miles to our north was devastation and 2 miles to our south neighborhoods suffered disastrous flooding .
My neighbor who purports to be a pastor was quick to tell me that this was a perfect example of the power of prayer and that we were taken care of by a blessing from the Lord ” Perhaps that is true ” , I told him ,
” But if it is, then our blessings cost someone else there’s”
We could have been quite fine had we rode out yet another hurricane at home but The Ragged Edge and its staff gave us a much fonder memory than that of a night sitting in the dark and frapping our pants and listening to the weather on a scratchy radio
