Aftermath of a Rogue Storm

It was a storm called a Derecho  that demanded and got its 15 minutes of fame – a  maniacal weather beast that  caused headaches and a lot of sweating in the Commonwealth of Virginia and they say, in a total of ten states.  And the Derecho actually took lives in its insane path.

Friday:

A Very Big Wind –  I was creating a peachy blog post with two luscious tried and true recipes, when I heard the pitter-patter at my window pane, along with a howling wind.  “How exciting,” I thought, “It sounds like hail.”  I have never seen hail so I rushed to tell Bill.  “That’s not hail,” says he, “That’s WOOD.”  He meant that twigs and little things were being pounded into the window.  Uh Oh!

The wind got worse and all around there was lightning with no rain. It was all over in  minutes.  And our lights went out and stayed out for close to four days.  But that first evening was cool and deceived us into thinking, “This isn’t so bad.  Electricity will be restored by morning.”  Ha!  The storm hit on Friday night and by Saturday at noon temperatures had reached over 95 degrees, and there was no power.

Saturday:

Our Driveway Debris

Damage Assessment – Morning meant we could see what we really didn’t want to see.  Trees were down all around (fortunately, not on our roof).

Gasp! Look at this! Look at this! This will take months to clean up!

No electricity.

No air conditioning.

No land-line phone.

No water.

We were suddenly painfully aware we were dependent upon a little red generator, cell phone communication, and our own ingenuity.  We decided to simply tough it out. Ha!

Clean Up Job
Around the House

To get my mind off drooping, dripping and my clothes sticking to me in all the wrong places on that first scorching day, I invited neighbors/friends for dinner!  This may sound irrational,  but sharing stories of survival made the time go faster. Besides, our guests not only had no water at their home, but no generator either.  Pete had been out all morning clearing fallen trees from our roads, so he was happy to clean up a bit at our house.  And we had our July 4th feast on June 30th, cooked on the barbecue.

Sleeping that night became problematical. The day’s heat had built up in the house and I soon learned what “tossing and turning” really means.   What did we ever do without air conditioning I ask you?

Sunday:

Seeking Refuge –  Early morning of the second scorching day after the storm we rented a motel room (along with many other “locals”) to find some respite from the heat and to be able to shower and sleep at night.  Fortunately, there was some power on the north side of town to allow motels to stay open.  By midday however, the inn signs read “We are filled.”  We did get a room but spent most of the day at home anyway, trying to keep the freezer and the refrigerator going with our stalwart little generator.   By switching it onto different circuits it could magically generate enough water to flush toilets and fill pitchers.  Neighbors came to get drinking water  and more water for their horses.

Monday:

Forest Coming Down

The End of the World? –  I was beginning to feel like a displaced person wandering around in a world of technology that didn’t work.  Power lines were down so there was no land-line communication between friends and neighbors.  There was no news.  Our two radio stations never mentioned the storm or the anticipated time for reinstating power.  No one could connect with the power company or the phone company.  Gas was scarce.  Ice was precious.  Water was gold.  Cash worked better than credit because credit card machines were down.  Many restaurants and businesses closed.

Tuesday: 

Paralyzed  – Another scorching day spent much the same as Monday, with an increasing feeling of paralysis.  I was finally able to get my computer to work at the motel and answer some emails.  Blogging was a delightful activity I recalled from a long-ago past.  The list of new posts by my favorite blogger friends was growing and there was no time to devote to commenting.  Is this the way life was going to be?  Have you ever read The Road?  I saw comparisons as Bill and I traversed a scorched world full of confused people searching for ice and water.  Gas stations closed with signs on their pumps reading “No Gas.”

Tuesday Evening: 

Lighting the Way – “Bill, there’s a light on in the hallway!” I yelled,   “Is the generator hooked up to the hallway?”

“Noooo,” was his incredulous answer.  “I think we have power.  Yes, I believe we have power.”

YES! YES! YES!  WE HAVE POWER!  AND AIR CONDITIONING! AND LIGHT!  AND WATER!  AND I AM GIDDY WITH DELIGHT!

Wednesday, July 4^th

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY TO THOSE OF YOU WHO CELEBRATE AMERICAN INDEDPENDENCE!

There are still many people in our area who are without power, but progress is being made.  The incessant heat is the culprit in making it so difficult to tough things out.  People have lost all the food in their freezers and refrigerators and are still camping out in the motels.  Motels are offering “local” rates and there is an overall air of kindness and people eager to help each other through this very rough time.  The Derecho storm is almost over and it’s time to clean up and start again.  It’s an Independence Day Holiday that will not be forgotten.