Hurricane Irene

August 24^th
2 PM – Depart Island School campus.  A full morning of hurricane prep, plus an entire day on Tuesday helped to put the Island School in a safe position going into the storm.  Wind generator taken down, and the blades pulled off.  The tower got cranked back up after stress fractures were found in two of the blades.  On the ride home, the first band of rain hits.  Near torrential levels.  This lasts for about 20 minutes at which point everyone runs for the cover of their assigned houses.

5 PM – Internet, cable, and electricity are all still working.  A new forecast from the NOAA Hurricane Center gives a projection of Irene intensifying to a category 4 level right over Eleuthera.  Two models put the eye of the storm directly over the Cape and Deep Creek, while 3 others have it 15 miles to the east over Rock Sound. (It actually moves farther east than that) 

5 – 7 PM – Hanging outside at the Farm, on the porch.  Watching the wind pick up.  A few loose limbs come down, but they are small and do not pose a hazard to walking or driving.  A few beers and getting ready for dinner.  Dinner is a crockpot beef stew, carrots, peas, and anything else that might go bad in the next 24 hours.  Electricity is on, but a news report from the Nassau Guardian states that electricity to the Family Islands will be cut when the sustained winds reach 45 mph. 

8 PM – A new weather report comes in.  Everyone looks at the new projections and speculates what it means for the house.  How fast will the winds be?  How much rain?  Will the eye hit us?

8:07 PM – Power shut off on purpose.  Residents quickly move from an environment of full light to dimly lit headlamps and candles.  Winds pick up with gusts creating a shrieking sound.  Wind currently out of the North, Northwest.

830-930 PM – Drinking on the porch.  Ron and Karen come over to hang out.  We spell out IRENE with our bodies.  Lots of nervous anticipation of what will come

930 PM – I make my first attempt at going to bed.  Winds pick up to sustained 70+, i.e. hurricane force.

11 PM – Radio check-in with ManTown.  Last update for the night, until 8 AM.

August 25^th
1 AM – The freight train is coming.  Everyone says that the sound of a hurricane is like that of a freight train.  From what Irene produced, it also has a hint of a revving jet engine at takeoff.

3-315 AM – Wind is probably at 110 to 120+ with gusts even higher.  At times, the house shakes and the pressure inside changes.  It makes me feel as though the roof will tear off at any moment.  By this time, I am lying in bed, waiting for the air conditioning unit to break out of the window.  Rain is being blown through the cracks in the window between the board and the frame.  Water may also be coming in through the actual AC.  A steady stream is coming down, creating a small pool of water.  The house begins to vibrate on each gust.  I move back to the main room with my backpack in my arms as to not get anything inside wet from the floor.  At this point, everyone is awake, looking at each other and thinking that it is the craziest and most intense experience we’ve ever been in.

430-530 AM – Eye of the storm.  It’s too dark to see anything so I get some rest.

7AM – First light.  Tin roofs blown off.  Trees down.  Power lines down.

8 AM – Morning check in, no emergencies.

830 AM – Gas gets hooked up and breakfast begins.  Winds still at 60+ gusts to 80 or over.  Had to go outside to get the plunger from the porch, and the rain felt like acupuncture.  Safe enough to take pictures from the back door.  Still boarded up.

9 AM – The gusts no longer whistle through the boards.  Wind has shifted to coming in from the southwest after the eye went through.  More tin comes off the roof, might have hit the house or propane tank.

915 AM – Dark ‘n Stormy

930 AM – Breakfast: Hash Browns, Furtado, Mango, Cantaloupe, Kalik

1030 AM – First adventure outside of the house.  See palm trees down.  Check on the house.  Some shingles have ripped off.  Some water.

11 AM – Begin unboarding the farm.  Start sightseeing.

1130 AM – Play Scrabble and Trivial Pursuit.

Afternoon – Still gusty. Return to the house.  No damage.  Some water came in through my AC unit and a pool on the floor.  Mopped it up.

730 PM – Ron and Karen’s house for a meat party.  Can’t let the good meats spoil.  All CEF members in Deep Creek bring their meat and we grill it up on an open flame.  The clouds start clearing and a sunset of pink and golden hues dominates the sky.

830 PM – Sleep.  No ventilation as the boards are still up.  Feels like a sweat box.