Hurricanes have been a topic here since 2005, when I personally was affected by Katrina and shared a lot of my experience with you. However, there has not been a major hurricane—a category 3 or above—to hit the United States since that eventful year. I suppose that technically is true still. Hurricane Matthew, a category 3 hurricane when it approached southeastern Florida last week, did not make landfall there. As we all know, it skirted the Atlantic seaboard until the eyewall finally touched ground in South Carolina. By then, Matthew was a category 1 storm. Yes, we did get lucky. Had Matthew been a category 5 storm on the path it took, or even a category 4 as it was when it hit poor Haiti, we probably would be dealing with the greatest natural disaster in our nation’s history. Or if the storm, as it was, had tracked 20 or 30 miles closer to shore, the damage would have been far greater. However, I say all that to say this: Matthew was a remarkably unique hurricane. By hugging the coastline, its impact amounted to a landfalling hurricane from near Palm Beach, Florida, to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. While not the rolling catastrophe that might have been, the damage is great, far greater than we know from watching clips on television and the internet. The dollar damage will be historic, and there are personal catastrophes aplenty. This storm was not oversold. We got very, very lucky.
61 responses to “The Missing Pizza”
We were lucky. I say that because I have so many friends that were in the path I felt it was my hurricane too, I worried so for them and still do. North Carolina claims half of me and they are suffering right now.
I can’t believe Janis would put an empty pizza box back in the fridge; she must have been playing a practical joke.
I spent a couple years in Key Largo, FL a few decades back; got a lot of warnings from people about the hurrican potential but was fortunate not to have the experience. I’m glad this one turned out to be less severe than expected.
From what i learned over the weekend was that Sandy was a Category 3 but reduced by the time that it landfall. However the surge that hit the east coast (when it was a “1” or a tropical storm, caused so much of the mass destruction. That was the fear with Matthew and while there was less wind damage, there was still a lot of surge damage.
But then again I might have heard it wrong and am all wet.
“…the damage is great, far greater than we know from watching clips on television and the internet.”
From my experience following Katrina, I can confirm that video and photos cannot begin to portray the reality of the destruction these things leave in their wake.
Just fed my workmen cornbread, honey carrots, potato salad and maple sugar mesquite po’k chops. Guess that is a meat and two with bread and drink.
Have lost eleven pounds since returning home. I won’t do that if I return to cooking. Especially if I cook from Southern Living recipes.
My South Carolina friends are posting photos like washed away roads, trees all over farm down on buildings, trees over roads and neighbors opening roads with bull dozens and chain saws.
I live in Lakeland, FL. For a time the European model was showing the storm going north up the center of the state. That was scary. Back in 2004 two hurricanes came over us and a third (Charley) was about 20 miles east.
We hardly got any rain. Slightly over an inch.
Damage in many areas is inconsistent. Unlike with Charley, et. al., this was our turn to not lose power and to emerge unscathed. Obviously others were not so lucky. I have seen interviews with people who did not evacuate when they were told to do so who now say they will never do that again. Unfortunately, there are also those who left and were lucky to have little damage who are now whining about how they weren’t allowed to come back immediately and who also say they’ll never do that again.
Have done every version of the stay go stay evacuate stay dance there is. None are fun, all are a pain. The times we did not evacuate and got hit are among worse memories
Another beautiful song from my thumbprint station, Magnolia, by JJ Cale, a singer composer I have discovered too late to see in person. JJ lived and performed in Tulsa until his death three years ago. The Village inspired me to go back to loving music of all kinds, among them this song writer whom I would have loved to see play. When I returned to listening to music the Internet helped me learn who wrote, who recorded, who re-recorded.
I would never have done that without the Village. I didn’t even know what youtube was! Thank you.
https://youtu.be/9D2nuzhIfHY
Ruth Anne, do you usually read the Island Packet? I do because I have a friend of 65 years’ standing who lives on Callawassee Is. – not far from Hilton Head. Had another friend of slightly fewer years who lived nearer the ocean in the same locale, but just found out she died months ago.
That Newseum site is quite fascinating for seeing what’s happening at various world locations.
c ex-p, try this site: http://www.onlinenewspapers.com/
Smigz – Haven’t really started looking yet. Yes, I am an idiot. However, new work drama and my own personal battle with the creeping crud had left my house in a wreck. I possess way too much stuff. Spent today, my day off, cleaning. Had visions of working outside too, but broke down and made both the crepes and cupcakes I have been craving forever. Still need to dust, vacuum, and weed out some more stuff, but progress has been made. I also don’t want to run rashly into the unknown. Nothing that will put me in the path of Black Friday hell (especially with so many locations closing on Thanksgiving this year.) I honestly don’t mind customer service as long as there is someone else there with things go screwy. That is my biggest frustration with my job now – something I could finish in ten minutes if I was uninterrupted, takes me three hours because I keep having to stop and do other things.
Whining aside, finally stumbled upon a cat food that seems to be working for Blacklight. She had been having serious digestive issues, to the point I was giving hard thought to putting her down. Once she decided to eat it, the digestive issues went away almost immediately. Iams proactive health, hairball care for mature adult for the win!
Meant to mention this earlier, but just recovered the clipping. Bemidji Pioneer has run two columns by Rheta Grimsley Johnson. They’re occasional, not weekly. Second, ‘Home is where the art is” appeared F 30 Sept. Good writer.
Peace,
c ex-p: No, that’s probably my first contact with the Island Packet. I had seen pictures of the fort elsewhere, so, when Pulaski was mentioned in the other context, I thought I should share one and that was the first link I found. Maybe I should check it out.
The Island Packet yacht is very popular large cruising sail boat, very expensive, I thought it was their newsletter for boat owners! It took a few minutes to figure it out.
Lying under covers reading Southern Living recipes and getting acid agitated salivating over yummy and not good for me foods. Listening to country music classics to go with the classic food dishes.
Debbe 😉 They must have been watching Olympic synchronized swimming…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skfjEVgwskQ
Back on Sept 24, I had a wreck with a texting fool. My back is really hurting, and I no longer have a sporty Grand Am. OTOH, due to some unique friends and good insurance policies, I’m coming out ahead on the deal with an equally old Buick Le Sabre (I’m not old or stodgy enough for a Buick am I?) that needs about $500 in repairs, but is in great shape for a free car. And also enough cash that I now have my classic B♭ clarinet, a decent BB♭ bass clarinet, and a new A clarinet for orchestra work and enough left over for this year’s property tax.
(those are supposed to be the code for a flat symbol… hope it works!)
Well, it sounds like your lemonade turned out well. Now if your back gets better it will be a happy ending. Did texting idiot get tickdt?
Yep, and his insurance accepted responsibility. So, a check will be arriving later this week for the totaled car. Friday I’ll be visiting with the doc again to find out about options for testing and treatment. So far I’ve just had the initial X-ray and been told to try ibuprofen or Aleve (c).
Good morning Villagers….
Not much to add this morning….
Happy hump day….
oh, down to 43 degrees again tonight 🙁
Indy Mindy, pray you feel well soon.
GR 😉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lscp1GCjUQ
in honor of today’s real time strip…..Arlo would never do this…..nah
http://cheezburger.com/8977926400
Mindy, I don’t think you’re an idiot—just trying to plot a big life change while immersed in life up to your eyeballs. If you would like a change from retail, wouldn’t your customer service and organizational skills apply well to other fields like banking, hospitality, insurance, and medical office, among others? I’m glad to hear Blacklight is doing better. That prompts me to add something new to my regular prayers: the companion animals of friends.
Jimmy, your lizard strip today reminds me of a friend’s tale of watching a newly-hatched lizard emerge from an egg laid in a pot he’d just brought in. Janis, tell Arlo to check for lizard eggs, too!
Smigz: Thanks for the reminder. I brought an orchid inside to enjoy the blooms a couple of weeks ago. I caught and released the first little lizard (technically a Cuban anole) that appeared. The second one showed up the morning before Matthew arrived so we left it alone; it was last seen on an African violet leaf. Guess we should try to find it – we don’t have enough bugs inside to keep it alive. At least, I hope we don’t!