Weathering The Storm

These past few days, we've been deluged by Tropical Storm Debby.

Our street was flooded, but the Pink House sits on higher ground so we were dry. Many people lost power, some are still in the dark, but our lights are still on. Tornadoes struck to the west and north of us, but the only damage here was the lamp that sits on my nightstand, which the wind knocked to the floor and shattered...

This was the first big storm since the stroke, so it was a bit unsettling. I often wonder what I'd do here, alone with Bob, if a truly big hurricane hit. We are located in a "white zone" which is a non-evacuation zone and pretty much, this is where people are evacuated too and shelters are located. Earlier this year, I checked into registering Bob for the Special Needs Shelter but was informed that he did not qualify for it because he is "too medically risky" with his swallowing difficulty and feeding tube---which I think is bizarre as I take care of him alone and they have medical personnel at this shelter. Anyway, I was told, in event of a hurricane, I should either keep him at home or admit him to a hospital.

The summer after Bob and I bought the Pink House, we had four separate hurricanes. All four times, we boarded up the house with plywood, all nineteen windows, and hunkered down. The first storm veered off at the last minute and missed us completely. Two others were drastically downgraded by the time they reached our shore. The fourth, Hurricane Jeanne, blew through as a CAT 1. I had never seen it rain sideways before. And the wind. I never heard a wind that sounded alive, like a thousand howling creatures in the sky. That night, sheets of rain pummeled the house. You could feel the house shudder and hear the window weights banging inside the walls. But I wasn't scared, because I was in Bob's strong arms.

This morning, Debby was downgraded to a Tropical Depression. The wind has quieted down completely, though the sky is still gray. It would be nice to see the sunshine again, but the Home Draw lab tech was here this morning and told me that there's another tropical disturbance in the Gulf and that's predicted to reach us by Saturday...