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“How was your hurricane?”
Surviving Hurricane Irma in Orlando
After living through a hurricane, life plays out strangely. People are a little dazed and shell shocked. We’ve all gone a little crazy preparing and now we’re all going a little crazy in the aftermath. In my case, it was willing to risk driving across town with zero traffic lights to get a pizza from the one place serving food.
The store is packed with an hour long wait. Everyone is sharing stories about their damage. The question of the moment is, “do you have power?” The tables are all full. The beer is flowing.
We fought the weakened phone system and managed to get our pizza order called in. This allowed skipping to the front of the massive line, joining a group of proactive patrons waiting for their names to be called.
When the pizza is handed to me, I hand the cashier my credit card. Making small talk, she smiles and asks, “How was your hurricane?”. This question catches me off guard and causes me to laugh.
How do you answer such a thing?
Day One: Saturday, September 9
Things Can Be Replaced
Ever pack everything that means something to you into your car? Move anything somewhat valuable on top of tables in case of flooding? Dig three trenches around your back patio to mitigate water damage? This is what happens when preparing for a hurricane.
It’s a startling feeling, realizing that anything that means something can be packed into the car in about an hour. The rest of the house is just full of stuff. The things hold memories, but they are left behind without hesitation.
The essentials are packed: the dog, the turtle, a few items of clothing, deed to the house, some jewelry, passports, marriage license… everything else gets left behind. A few paintings are placed on a bed, furthest away from where water might come in. The TV is placed in the bathroom since it’s the sturdiest room. Everything else just stays where it is.
With the car packed, all that’s left is to flip all the breakers and turn off the water main. The house is quiet. Still. Effectively abandoned.
