It was in the ’80’s – I believe ’83 or ’84 – we gathered a group of us – my sister and her husband Bill – My brother – my friend Jim and wife Dorothy. And – John Murphy and a few more.
We rented this house at the Outer Banks of N.C. Now – Sherry and I had gone in ’82 – with a whole load of my brother’s friends. And we went back to the same house as it was right across the road from the beach.
Cindy – ( Not there) Jim ( there) Sherry ( there) Dorothy ( there)
We had no children with us – just adults – and a few brews ! The week was friends and family – and it started off with a volleyball game in the sand at the rear of the house. Then – on the second day – we got the news flash – a storm was coming – a big storm – could be a HURRICANE !
Winter in Pa.
Now – we all are from the North – Penna. – N.W. – in the snow belt – where if you mention storm – it most likely is SNOW and or BLIZZARD ! We very seldom get the HURRICANE effect except in ’72 – Agnes !
In NWPA – you live with snow every day – and this was all new to us. We went to the fire department – got a chart – yes – we were going to chart it – when it got close we would leave !
GRAB A BEER – head to the beach – Sun – warm breeze – surf – what else could you want !
As the week went on – the notice got worse – voluntary evacuation – you have to understand –
we had been planning this for a year – it was our vacation – a time where you only got two weeks vacation a year !
RED SKY IN THE MORNING – SAILOR TAKE WARNING
Our chart was up to date – we had the radio on tuned to a station 24 hours a day – the TV also – it was kind of fun plotting the course – seeing the path as it came up from the Gulf.
But we were some 800 miles away from it ! And the weather was beautiful – never mind that NONE of us had unpacked – we were living day to day out of our suitcases !
Then – it changed – to the good – it had turned and was going out to sea – we were saved – no worries – celebrate – it was Tuesday – had the next four days – Sun – brews- unpack – head to the beach.
We turned the radio off – packed the chart up – and got up Wednesday morning to a beautiful RED SKY !
Something was up – turned radio back on – it had turned and was heading right off the coast to where we were. The wind picked up – the roads closed and we were stuck. We could not get out !
There it sat 150 miles due East -the waves were getting bigger – the wind – well some shutters blew off – yes it was scary –
but we hunkered down and then it was over. The beach across the road – part of it was gone with a good five foot drop off.
LESSON LEARNED – DON’T DRINK AND CHART A HURRICANE
Well – it was over – we still had a couple days left – we learned that these things can and are dangerous – we thought we were all right – but they change in a instant.
That was my first and last time with a HURRICANE – today – we still go to the beach – but we always check the weather – and if it seems to be coming – we do not go.
Some have passed on – the rest – we are still friends from all those years ago. We still get together every 4 to 6 months – and last September we were at the beach.
I would much rather go through a blizzard than a Hurricane and or major storm on the beach !
Just another story in the course of my life –
Papa’s World – it came – it left – and it came back !
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