Bermuda Hurricane

A hurricane is in the process of striking Bermuda. Radar shows the eye will pass over the islands over the next few hours.

Why am I writing about this? I know how they feel. It's all doom and gloom, but unless you've been close to the eye of a strong hurricane, you have no idea of what it's like.

First: The misconception of you can leave if it gets too bad becomes apparent. With the rain passing in horizontal sheets, you know you can't go out in such a mess and driving will probably be worse.

Second: After you accept you're in it for the duration, it's kinda neat. The wind isn't steady during the entire event; and the moments of calm allow you to hear the distant, roaring approach of the next batch of wind. That, and tornadoes sound like freight trains. They really do. The high, circular winds sound like a large, diesel engine.

Third: Unless you're hit by a tornado, most homes will only suffer minor damage. Sure, many things will blow away, and you might even have a window broken, but as long as the house doesn't come apart, you'll survive to clean up the damage.

All, in all, the fury of a major hurricane is much smaller than many think. A few dozen miles in any direction can make a huge difference.

I'm not advocating hurricane parties, or any such foolishness. That's dangerous, but I always think of what an old man told me: "You hide from the wind; and run from the water." He was right. The wind is bad, but being below 20 feet above sea level is a risk nobody should take during a hurricane. The storm surge can raise water levels to the eves of low lying homes in minutes. In those few minutes, escaping to the attic may be a death sentence, unless you have a chain saw to cut through the roof. Even if you escape, you might find your long, dark night is spent with dozens of snakes and the other critters trying to survive.