Well the hurricane most definitely did hit us. The eye barely missed us by a hair, but we were most definitely affected. The city was in chaos after the hurricane passed. Our city had no power, traffic lights were down (some were completely missing), trees were uprooted, buildings damaged. The north side of the city was (and still is) currently flooded, so many people were trapped in their own homes. Obviously the President declared us a disaster area, and the National Guard was dispatched to help distribute water, food, and ice.

My family and I were very lucky to live in an area that’s not prone to flooding. The street did flood for a while, but the water found its way out once the rain stopped. We had enough sense to invest in a generator a while back, so once the power left around nine in the morning on Wednesday, we were able to plug in the generator to the refrigerator so the food wouldn’t spoil. We also plugged in the television so that we could see what was going on.

The next few days after the hurricane were just crazy. Everyone was in a frenzy, trying to get gas and supplies. My own brother had to wait in line forty-five minutes to get gas for our generator. People were filling up their vehicles, for what? To leave after the storm hit? It’s a little late for that, people.

My neighborhood is pretty messed up. Trees and branches found their way into the street, blocking the way for many people. My neighbor’s house is in shambles. It was old to begin with, and didn’t quite make it. It was like watching a movie, seeing the carport get blown away.

My brother’s house is also old, and they had a huge tree growing next to it. The tree ended up falling on top of their bedroom. Luckily they had decided to ride out the hurricane with us, so they weren’t there when it happened. Actually my brother was pretty laid back about this whole thing. He even slept through the worst part of it!

Almost everything is going back to normal, except for the north side of town. They’ll be recovering for weeks to come, I’m sure. It’s so sad, many people lost everything in this hurricane and it wasn’t even a strong category 2 storm. I can only imagine what the people went through during and after Katrina.

The cable isn’t back yet, so I’m on dial-up at the moment. I’d forgotten how slow it was. It’s so slow I’m afraid my computer might explode. Hopefully the cable will be back soon, and then I can upload the photos and video I took during the hurricane. Thanks for your prayers and good wishes!

 Filed under: Daily Life on July 29, 2008 | COMMENT