I've been through a few and would rather not go through any again. The actual hurricane isn't as bad as the aftermath of a powerful storm. If it hits where one lives. Being holed up for a hurricane could lead to boredom relieved by moments of sheer terror. In the Caribbean, when I lived there on boats afloat, I typically took refuge ashore in a concrete building. We tempered the storms with copious amounts of Rum and Rain.
It cured both boredom and terror.
At least it gave that kind of illusion. Typically the power would go out early on, the ice would be consumed rapidly in icy cold drinks before it could all melt and when the ice was gone, what was left was Rum and Rain.
Because most of the islands where I weathered hurricanes had water in cisterns rather than supplied by street plumbing, one relied on an electric pump to bring the fresh water up out of the underground cisterns to the faucets. When the electricky died, so did the tap water. People would stick their cup very briefly out the door or window gather up some rain water, then placate it with a good dollop of rum. Of course trying to grab a half cup of rain water during a raging hurricane of 100 plus mile per hour winds, could prove daunting. The cup might sail away, the window or door might slam shut, causing injury to a body limb.
After every hurricane I survived, so did others... with mangled arms, broken ankles and all sorts of weird injuries, they claimed to have happened while escaping from the storm. In truth, they were opening the door to grab a cup of rain when it slammed shut on their foot or arm. Some were already so immersed in rum, they couldn't remember how they injured themselves. Was it when the roof blew off or when the sofa sailed down the cliff while they were still riding it or was it reaching for that cup of rain to stretch out the rum supplies?
I guess *SIGH* I am going to have to dust off my crystal ball to get to the truth of the matter.
OK, after consulting my crystal ball, I come up with Hurricane Joaquin fettuccine (fatter than spaghetti!)
Below is the linguine model which is thicker than spaghetti but thinner than fettuccine.
Currently I am parked near the Georgia coast, and it appears that hurricane Joaquin isn't in the popular pasta vote to come here, but if I thought she, oops I mean he, was headed this way, I would probably drive my little old rig west north west in search of calmer weather and a concrete underground bunker.
As I recall from past disasters... taking refuge in concrete buildings is preferable during a hurricane but during an earthquake, wooden buildings are sought after rather than concrete. Both should be no taller than one floor. During a tornado, it's best to hide underground. Floods mean running for high ground and tsunamis well, that means donning your life jacket and racing for the summit. Oh wait, I gave away my life jacket to a boat owner. Ditto for my foul weather gear that carried me through decades of sailing, storms and hurricanes.
If that foul weather gear could tell tales... hmm... I had it for over 25 years, it was extremely well built and it's in great shape still, living on a friend's sailboat. My old gear went to sea, on land, on boats, on planes and trains, through storms and hurricanes, a flood, two fires and dang I forget what else. That storm jacket went to 15 different countries and probably eight dozen islands on maybe 100 different boats, yachts and ships. OK, if I get started writing about the tales that jacket could tell, we are going to be here for days and daze.
Life is goof.
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It keeps a mermaid wondering about life...
Or is that wandering about earth?
One wonders where a mermaid wanders next!
Or is that wandering about earth?
One wonders where a mermaid wanders next!
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Your description of how Caribbeaners (carabiners?) got injured in hurricanes
ReplyDeleteis wonderful. But you are relatively safe now on a mainland. Just a few miles
inland and it's safer to stick your arm out a window, plus the power doesn't go
off as easily.