Note: Marty of snakesinthegrass posted a 4-day diary of experiences toughing it out in his St. Augustine, FL home as Hurricane Dorian passed. I decided to continue where he and Dorian left off…overlapping on Wednesday’s entry.
For context, Florence, SC is an evacuation city – a destination for those temporarily displaced during a hurricane. Only 60 miles inland from Myrtle Beach, we also feel the effects of weather encountered along the Atlantic coast, sometimes more acutely and in the form of water-storm surges that can last for days after the actual hurricane has passed.
Wednesday, September 4th:
After yesterday’s gorgeously sunny, though highly humid day, I woke up to a more ‘beginning to look like a storm may be coming’ type of morning.
Just kind of waiting – not wanting the storm at all – but wanting it to pass, to be done with, come what may.
So much depends upon spontaneous trajectory changes during the course of a hurricane. All it takes is a deviance of a few miles in one direction or another to determine the level of devastation it leaves in its wake. Dorian already has a destructive track record so this isn’t something to be taken lightly.
South Carolina’s mandatory evacuation of Charleston and coastal communities has been in effect since Monday with accompanying highway lane reversals and will end this afternoon.
Here in FloTown, it amazes me how polite everyone is, no panicked motorists or freaked out customers in Walmart getting supplies. Just everyone doing what needs to be done. Oh, there are shopping carts piled high with packs of bottled water, cartons of saltines, jars of peanut butter and such, but the crowds move along in an orderly and even convivial manner.
Dorian is expected to arrive in Myrtle Beach sometime tomorrow, with the beginnings of the increased rainfall and wind starting around 7AM.
Thursday, September 5, 2019:
Dorian is on its way – albeit slower than expected – we’re as ready as we know how…including trusting the Lord in all that will come to pass.
This will be the first time for us to experience a hurricane from start to finish.
Last year’s Florence occurred while we were back in Colorado getting Ma & Dad’s house ready to sell and then finalizing that sale. We delayed our drive back to South Carolina due to the extent of time needed for local and statewide clean up after the hurricane.
Then there’s Matthew. In 2016, towards the end of my Summer of Dad, I was in Colorado awaiting hubby to drive out and join me after Dad passed away and for the funeral. Hurricane Matthew began bearing down on Florence earlier than projected causing hubby to scramble in the middle of the night to leave ASAP – well before his scheduled time. He literally drove through a hurricane to come to me in my time of need.
Joaquin in 2015 and Irma in 2017 we were also out of town.
In all instances, we came back to food gone bad in the refrigerator and blinking clocks – both of which were easily dealt with and remedied. In all instances, our little rental was still standing, surrounded by those huge long needled pine trees native to this area, unscathed and without a trace of flooding.
In all instances, we were immensely grateful to find things pretty much the same as when we left. In all instances, we never took it for granted we’d have anything to come back to…
Friday, September 6, 2019:
Dorian came through our section of South Carolina – Myrtle Beach/Grand Strand area – on the bestcase scenario path. Totally unexpected change in intensity, and totally welcome for those of us here. Dorian arrived then flew the coup without leaving much in the way of a mess. Yes, there is damage, but everyone knows we got off easy. And none of us around here takes that for granted.
Wilmington, North Carolina took a huge hit for the second year in a row. The Outer Banks are ravaged.
This is the height of hurricane season. There are Dorian buddies queuing up all along the Atlantic – any one of them a potential surreal powerhouse destructo-machine.
Lord have mercy – enable the helpers to help. Please comfort the Survivors in the wake of their loss and give them hope and strength to reconstruct their lives.
Glad you didn’t get hit hard! I am sorry for people on the NC coast, but as a native North Carolinian who has seen the unconscionable development on the outer banks, I think it’s time to made a more environmentally-sound policy regarding such buildup.
Oh, I totally get what you mean…meanwhile, mother nature marches on regardless.
We have started naming our storms over here in the American fashion, but they are nothing in comparison to the weather that you guys get.
I’m not so sure about that…I mean you guys tough out everyday type of harsh weather as a matter of course.
Frankly, I’m not keen on always having to name storms. When I was growing up in Chicago, we spoke of the biggies in different terms: “The Ice Storm of 19xx” or in Colorado: “The Blizzard of 19xx” Not every Blizzard or outrageous ice storm got a special ‘name. Also, how about “The Camp Fire” in Paradise, California – hugely significant and hence the naming of it relating it to causes and place.
Anyway, just my 2 cents’ worth
🙂
So glad to know you are safe
Thank you, my South African (he)artist friend.
♥️
You make a good point about how first there’s the waiting/surviving the storm, then there’s the rebuilding/adjusting to new realities. I’m glad you are safe. Stay that way, ok?
Always!
Thanks for the good wishes, Ally.
HI, Laura. I love our “tag-team” approach here — truly why blogging can be so collaborative.
So glad that Florence escaped a major brush with Dorian. We found that for the most part people here too were calm and neighborly prior to the storm. In addition to the cases of water, we couldn’t help but also note how some absolutely loaded their carts with soda too. Another form of caffeine, perhaps? 😉
I’m so saddened by the reporting from the Outer Banks. I have such fond memories of how beautiful it is there, and it’s been my goal for quite a few years now to return. I’ll obviously wait another year for them to heal, repair, and reconstruct.
Great post. Thanks for sharing your experiences too.
Oh me, too! It seemed a natural segue from your post to mine.
As with the Bahamas, the Outer Banks are skinny and easily devoured by the oceans depths. Driving the bridges literally over the ocean/bay for long stretches in spots was awesome, scary and unbelievable all at the same time when we visited a few years ago.
– sigh –
So happy to know that you got through the storm ok. The Bahamas and other areas weren’t so lucky and will need a lot of assistance. I can’t imagine what it must be like knowing that there are other funnels of fury queuing upon the Atlantic. Stay safe.
Thanks, Janis. BTW: retrieved this from my spam file…I hope this gets resolved for you. I know how frustrating it can be. In the meantime, hang in there with WP.
🙁
I had hoped that you would go looking for me. The spam issue seems to be resolved on other sites but, for some reason, yours is very suspicious of my comments. Anyway, thank you for breaking me out of spam Jail once again.
Will keep you on my radar…but note that this comment was not initially placed in the spam file. So, maybe it’s resolved?
I just read and commented on Snakeinthegrass’s diary.I am glad you are okay, but did notice the other storms in the sea, as if forming a queue. Even with weaker winds, the length of time being stuck with it, can do a lot of damage. I saw the post on the news where a fellow’s doorbell cam caught a tornado sweeping through(a spin-off of Dorian) and you could dee the sudden pick-up of wind and hear the roar. Terrifying stuff. My heart goes out to the Bahamians, who have lost everything.
I saw the early footage of the ocean literally swallowing the entire section of the island…at a ‘skinny’ spot. Very sobering.
Hi Laura! Gosh. All of this makes the deep freeze we go through each winter seem like a snap. I’m so glad that Dorian moved through relatively quickly and with minimal damage. Amen to your prayer, Lord please. ~smile~ Roseanne
Such a sweet sentiment. Thanks, Roseanne.
Amen.
…and Amen.
I grew up going to the Outer Banks…so sad to see the destruction. Glad you came through the storm okay, Laura.
Thanks for that, Jill.
We went to the Outer Banks on the off-season one year…loved Pea Island! You must have great memories of sandy-fun summer times there…
Oh Laura! I’m so grateful that Dorian left. But yes, prayers for those affected by the storm. Thank you for keeping us up to date on what’s going on. Amen to your prayer!
Amen, sister!