Crafts

Candlemaking

2005-10-24

Hurricanes

So many hurricanes this year!  Hearing about them reminds me of the one I was in.  It was Hurricane Fran, 1996, the eye went across Willow Spring, NC, where I was living.  About 15 miles south of Raleigh, so unusual for one to come that far inland.  U worked for an insurance company that insured most of the houses on the beach, so it was imperative for all employees to be at work.  Underwriting, claims, etc.  The night before the hurricane I was watching the news.  The weatherman had just said the hurricane should be in the Raleigh area about 7:00 the next morning, so I knew I'd have to leave early, in order to be in a safe, brick building rather in my mobile home out in the country.  Just as the weatherman made the announcement, my electricity went out and the rains and wind kicked up.  The wind blew harder and harder.  My dog, cat, and I paced around the mobile home, crying and praying, as the windows and the entire home shook and rattled.  Then the trees began cracking and falling.  It sounded like fireworks, as one after another tree branch cracked.  I slept about 2 hours, and woke up to silence.  The storm had passed and I was alive.  I dressed in the dark and head out to work.  The first thing I encountered was a huge tree laying across the road.  As I turned my head to back the car up, I saw an immense wall of water crashing toward me.  A dam had broken upstream.  My car began floating.  I couldn't open the door.  I got the window open & climbed out into chest-high water.  A few vehicles had come up behind me, & seeing what was happening, they stayed at the top of the hill.  One guy held one end of a thick rope while another guy waded toward me with the other end of the rope.  Slowly he managed to bring me to safety, as I watched my brand new Eagle Talon flip end over end into the murky, snake-filled waters.  I was without running water, electricity, and phone for 8 days.  If by some other miracle either of you two life-savers are reading this, I would like to extend a long overdue thanks to my 2 heros.



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