Hurricane Watch: Day # I've Lost Track

I am now exhausted.  I've never had an optimal sleep schedule, and this past week, it's been completely wrecked.  I've spent part of the time trying to stay on top of storm tracks, and now, with a monster storm of historic proportions, just to our east, it doesn't seem wise to stop paying attention.  I feel like I should always be checking weather sites, just in case the thing starts moving and in an unexpected way. So I get up to check advisories, and there I am hours later, clicking and refreshing sites, just in case.

And I also feel like I should be doing tasks that will be harder later, should we lose power.  So I've been doing laundry and cooking and getting caught up with grading for my online classes.  I've thought, I can sleep later, when we lose power.

I am grateful not to have lost power.  I am grateful for my house that's dry and as of now, safe.  I know that many others, those in the Bahamas, in particular, are not fortunate that way.  And they are just 90 miles away.

Like many of us, I've been aghast at some of the footage that's come out of the Bahamas. 

I had the same feelings when Katrina swept through New Orleans--you could get your storm supplies in order, only to have them all swept away. It was the first time I really considered that. After Katrina, my spouse always keeps the ax with our various hurricane supplies when we shelter in place. I'm not sure I could really hack my way out of a structure if I had to, particularly not if flood waters are rising. But maybe adrenaline would help.

Here's what frightens me about our world: in the past 4 years, we've had a storm each year that should have been a once in a lifetime storm. Making some alternate plans for the future that don't involve living near the coast seems wise. But when I think inland, I'm not thinking about Orlando--that won't be far enough inland if a monster storm comes ashore.

Of course, I can hardly afford the house I have, so I can't imagine buying a property, just in case I need a place to flee to or a managed retreat from the coast when the time comes to relocate.

I can't imagine having a storm like that parked over me. I thought the same thing when Hurricane Wilma stalled over Mexico before it came our way. At the time, it had one of the lowest barometric pressures ever.  Hurricane Wilma is still one of the strongest recorded storms in terms of barometric pressure.

As of right now, we can be fairly sure that we won't have a direct hit in my county.  I am still expecting to feel some effects, and I'm still worried that the storm will wobble our way before it follows the forecast track north.

I will walk to the beach to see the sun rise and to see what I can see.  And later, maybe a nap.