NationStates Jolt Archive

There's a category 4 hurricane on its way to my doorstep. The last day has been surreal; I've been washing and filling sealable containers with water, finding our flashlights and our oil lamps, matches and batteries and food you don't need to heat up. We've been watching the news, too. They reversed the southbound lanes of Alabama's primary north-south interstate, so it could handle all the people trying to get out of Ivan's way, and people were leaving to the tune of two thousand cars an hour.

The governor just said there's still time to evacuate the northern half of the state, but I'm not going anywhere.

We're usually out of the direct path of the annual hurricane blitz, but Ivan stayed south long enough to get deep into the Gulf of Mexico and pick up some serious power. It's changed between category 4 and 5 all week, and it's finally settled into 4 to make landfall. We get hit by endless thunderstorms where I live, so we're used to hunkering down to wait out a storm, but I can't shake the feeling this'll be different. It'll be like having a two-day long great grandmother of a thunderstorm that spins off little baby thunderstorms as it goes along.

There's still time to evacuate, but I've got nowhere to go. If I had any money, I'd go buy some booze and host a hurricane party.

By the way, this might be my last post for a few days. Wish me luck.

There's a category 4 hurricane on its way to my doorstep. The last day has been surreal; I've been washing and filling sealable containers with water, finding our flashlights and our oil lamps, matches and batteries and food you don't need to heat up. We've been watching the news, too. They reversed the southbound lanes of Alabama's primary north-south interstate, so it could handle all the people trying to get out of Ivan's way, and people were leaving to the tune of two thousand cars an hour.

The governor just said there's still time to evacuate the northern half of the state, but I'm not going anywhere.

We're usually out of the direct path of the annual hurricane blitz, but Ivan stayed south long enough to get deep into the Gulf of Mexico and pick up some serious power. It's changed between category 4 and 5 all week, and it's finally settled into 4 to make landfall. We get hit by endless thunderstorms where I live, so we're used to hunkering down to wait out a storm, but I can't shake the feeling this'll be different. It'll be like having a two-day long great grandmother of a thunderstorm that spins off little baby thunderstorms as it goes along.

There's still time to evacuate, but I've got nowhere to go. If I had any money, I'd go buy some booze and host a hurricane party.

By the way, this might be my last post for a few days. Wish me luck.Good luck mate. Have fun.

There's a category 4 hurricane on its way to my doorstep. The last day has been surreal; I've been washing and filling sealable containers with water, finding our flashlights and our oil lamps, matches and batteries and food you don't need to heat up. We've been watching the news, too. They reversed the southbound lanes of Alabama's primary north-south interstate, so it could handle all the people trying to get out of Ivan's way, and people were leaving to the tune of two thousand cars an hour.

The governor just said there's still time to evacuate the northern half of the state, but I'm not going anywhere.

We're usually out of the direct path of the annual hurricane blitz, but Ivan stayed south long enough to get deep into the Gulf of Mexico and pick up some serious power. It's changed between category 4 and 5 all week, and it's finally settled into 4 to make landfall. We get hit by endless thunderstorms where I live, so we're used to hunkering down to wait out a storm, but I can't shake the feeling this'll be different. It'll be like having a two-day long great grandmother of a thunderstorm that spins off little baby thunderstorms as it goes along.

Hope you make it. my baby brothers not to far from you.

There's still time to evacuate, but I've got nowhere to go. If I had any money, I'd go buy some booze and host a hurricane party.

By the way, this might be my last post for a few days. Wish me luck.
I hope you make it dude.

Good luck; our thoughts are with you.

hah your breaking the law

By the way, this might be my last post for a few days. Wish me luck.

Be as safe as possible. Any chance you might be able to make it to a shelter nearby? I'll watch for your return.

Hope you're stocked up with all the necessary supplies. Get some firewood so you can cook in your fireplace.

hah your breaking the law

It's only illegal to stay if there's a mandatory evacuation. They don't have the resources to evacuate the whole state.

I'll do some drinkin' for you here in Indiana, since you'll have your fill of drinking the hurricane itself.

I'll do some drinkin' for you here in Indiana, since you'll have your fill of drinking the hurricane itself.

Dude, Raems not to far from my baby brother. Mikey might just be the soldier that saves his/her life.

Your post is just uncool.

So, here I am, twenty hours later. The hurricane is now a tropical storm.

The last day has shaped up to be the largest natural disaster in Alabama's history. Even hurricane Frederick, 25 years ago, didn't prove to be as devestating (Frederick was the hurricane that literally cut one of the islands off the Alabama coast in half, as in, its ends no longer touched in the middle). More than a million homes are currently without power, and are expected to remain so for no less than seven days, and no more than three weeks. Some parts of the state received nearly half a foot of rainfall over the course of less than eight hours - the entire state is on flood watch.

The governor declared a state of emergency before the storm had even been downgraded from hurricane to tropical storm status.

A woman in Mobile, who gave birth at the height of a category 4 hurricane, had to be evacuated by national guardsmen in a humvee because emergency response crews could not risk venturing into a storm that produced gusts in excess of 113 miles per hour. That was how it was across much of the state, rescue crews could not risk going out to save people. It's pure luck that there aren't any reported deaths so far.

By the way, there's another hurricane heading for the coast of Florida. This will be known as the year of storms in this part of the world. How long until the suffering of those left homeless, wounded, and impoverished by this storm become the platform upon which one or the other candidate climbs in order to reach more voters?

So, here I am, twenty hours later. The hurricane is now a tropical storm.

The last day has shaped up to be the largest natural disaster in Alabama's history. Even hurricane Frederick, 25 years ago, didn't prove to be as devestating (Frederick was the hurricane that literally cut one of the islands off the Alabama coast in half, as in, its ends no longer touched in the middle). More than a million homes are currently without power, and are expected to remain so for no less than seven days, and no more than three weeks. Some parts of the state received nearly half a foot of rainfall over the course of less than eight hours - the entire state is on flood watch.

The governor declared a state of emergency before the storm had even been downgraded from hurricane to tropical storm status.

A woman in Mobile, who gave birth at the height of a category 45 hurricane, had to be evacuated by national guardsmen in a humvee because emergency response crews could not risk venturing into a storm that produced gusts in excess of 113 miles per hour. That was how it was across much of the state, rescue crews could not risk going out to save people. It's pure luck that there aren't any reported deaths so far.

By the way, there's another hurricane heading for the coast of Florida. This will be known as the year of storms in this part of the world. How long until the suffering of those left homeless, wounded, and impoverished by this storm become the platform upon which one or the other candidate climbs in order to reach more voters?
but luckily for us here in north alabama in madison county we must venture out into the high winds and driving rain to go to school and learn gibberish!

I'm lucky I live in Arizona. I don't believe we will ever have a hurricane here.

Good luck, Raem, my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family at this time.

Connecticut doesn't get real hurricanes. Not that I can remember, at least. That's why I'm glad I don't live in Florida.

Glad to see you're back...and with power too!! Well, grab your socks and let us know if Ms Jean is heading your way.

but luckily for us here in north alabama

Now THIS answers quite a few questions....and poses a few more too. :D

Northern Alabama, isn't that Darwins waiting room?

Now THIS answers quite a few questions....and poses a few more too. :D

Northern Alabama, isn't that Darwins waiting room?
we are the INTELLIGENT part of alabama, as opposed to hickville south of birmingham