Irene Anticipation

Factoid of the day: this photo was taken by Ron Garan, an astronaut who graduated
from the University of Florida with an M.S. in Aerospace Engineering.  Go Gators!

As Hurricane Irene heads our way, we've been getting ready... hurricanes are definitely something we're used to preparing for.  I grew up on the Gulf Coast of Florida and J spent his high school years in Miami.

Personally, my hurricane experience portfolio consists of:

1. Hurricane Erin (1995)

I think I can see my parents' house through Erin's eye.

Erin was a category 2 storm, and my family (as well as all our neighbors) stayed for it.  We had hurricane panels on our windows, but left one off the front door so we could at least get a bit of light and see what was happening.  The storm was a direct hit on our area, so the eye of the storm went right over us.  This meant that during the first half of the storm, all the trees were blown to one side, then there was a short time with beautiful weather during the eye, and then during the second half of the storm the trees were blown in the opposite direction.  What an incredible (and scary) experience.

2. Hurricane Opal (1995)

Opal following Erin's lead towards the panhandle of Florida.

Two months after Hurricane Erin, Hurricane Opal was another direct hit on our area.  After staying for Erin as a category 2, there was NO WAY we were staying for Opal as a category 4.  We evacuated and weren't really sure whether we would have anything to come back to.  Luckily, we only had minor damage, including losing just about all the trees that Hurricane Erin hadn't already taken with it previously.

3. Hurricane Georges (1998)

Georges making landfall.

Georges was a category 4 storm, so once again we evacuated from the area.  Our neighbor across the street didn't, so he was able to check on our house after the storm.  From the coverage we had been watching on television, we weren't sure that any part of our house would still be standing.  But amazingly, our neighbor let us know that not only was our house still there, it had only sustained minor damage.

After leaving for college, my parents ended up dealing with two more major storms.  One of them was by far the worst storm to hit the area...

4. Hurricane Ivan (2004)

Hurricane Ivan about to make landfall over Gulf Shores, Alabama.

Hurricane Ivan hit just west of the Florida panhandle as a category 3 storm, and it devastated the entire area.  The houses along the water in my parents' neighborhood had a 12-foot storm surge hammer them.  The damage caused by the storm left many people living in their driveways in FEMA trailers for years afterward.  To this day, there are still empty lots where houses once stood along the water.

5. Hurricane Dennis (2005)

Hurricane Dennis following the path of Hurricane Ivan the previous year.

A year after Hurricane Ivan, when many houses that survived the storm still had tarps covering their roofs and families were still living in FEMA trailers, Hurricane Dennis made landfall.

While we don't think that Hurricane Irene will cause the sort of damage to the DC area that these other storms did to the Gulf Coast, we aren't taking chances in our preparations.  We're ensuring that we have everything we need in case there is a prolonged power outage, and making sure all our outdoor plants and furniture (known by hurricanes as 'projectiles') are secured.  We can only hope that our neighbors are taking the same precautions.