Isabel: The Hurricane

My journal: September 18th - 20th

Thursday, September 18th

6:00 a.m AccuWeather predicts land fall for Isabel at the Outer Banks at Noon today. We should expect very high tides with 3-5' over seawalls. Norfolk/Portsmouth downtown areas should expect flooding of 5' or more.

Right now it is windy and raining in my area of Chesapeake. Bailey went to the back yard with me but only stayed about a minute. He won't leave my side.

6:30 a.m. Took a shower and dried my hair debated on using a curling iron...I did...must look nice while waiting out a hurricane.

I also packed a few clothes, just in case. Course a book (Last Bride in Ballymuir) and my knitting (red hat and collared shawl).

7:30 a.m. Bailey has to go outside but he's afraid. So bundled up and carried him to the front yard. He finished quickly and we ran inside. The wind has picked up but not so much rain.

Drank a cup of coffee and read the paper. Local newscasters are showing live film from VB ocean front.

8:15 a.m. Just lost electricity. Damn. Was just about to fix a second cup of coffee and toast with pepper jack pimento cheese.

Water is still warm in the kettle so had a luke warm cup of Chai Tea and bread with pepper jack pimento cheese.

Wind has picked up. I've left the front door open (with storm door closed) on the front and back. Bailey is laying by the front door watching over his neighborhood.

8:45 a.m. Moved my knitting chair to the sliding glass doors which face my back yard. The better to see ya know. The way my townhouse is situated I have a small patio that is protected by two walls. I can stand out there and not get wet. My back yard backs up to a golf course. The "rough" is between me and the 11th hole. Lots of big trees.

Pulled out the wool for my red felted Fiber Trends hat and casted on.

No flooding in streets or backyard. Still have dial tone on phone.

9:50 a.m. There is a corner on the front porch that is not wet. Right up against the kitchen window.

A few cars have driven by. All I can hear is the wind.

I've named my red felted hat....Windy

10:50 a.m. Strange how I'm checking the clock every hour about the same time.

The rain has eased some but the wind is doing a hurricane dance whipping trees this way and that.

I've opened the sliding glass door to get some air in the house. My little secluded area is still protected. It will be interesting to see what happens when the hurricane passes over and the winds shift.

12:10 p.m. Turned on the radio. Have a little one that picks up local TV stations. They're reporting Nags Head ocean road has broken up, pier at VB is gone, electricity is off all over the area, worse time will be between 5-8 p.m this evening.

Had a tuna salad sandwich for lunch.

1:30 ish p.m. Turned off the radio. Tired of the noise. Almost finished "Windy".

No flooding in the backyard or front. Some limbs are blowing around the golf course but I can't see any downed trees. My crepe myrtles are still standing but the little one in the front is taking a beating.

3:20 p.m. Just woke up from a nap! Bailey and I were cuddled under a throw.

I finished "Windy" before my nap and it's sitting with My Constant Companion and Tomato Soup waiting for felting.

Wind has really picked up. Radio/TV says sustained winds of 55 mph and many power lines are down. They're also telling people not to touch the lines because they could still be live. Tides now expected to be 8' over normal now. Losing lots of leaves and bigger limbs on the golf course.


6:30ish p.m. Finished dinner. The rest of the tuna salad, crackers, chocolate chip cookies.

Radio/TV reporting 1.5 million without power. Two tunnels have flooded: Midtown and West Bound Downtown....this is NOT good. They are the major links between Norfolk and Portsmouth. How did this happen?!? Town Point Park is under water.

The wind has shifted and the back yard is now getting the brunt of the wind. I heard a tree go over earlier. Can't see it from any of my windows.

Casted on for the "Collared Shawl" from The Purl Stitch. I'm using alpaca. Think I'll call it Isabel . Should have copied the chart. It's sooo tiny to see in the twilight.

8:30 p.m. Don't knit in the dark when you don't know and can't see the pattern. LOL

Flashlights are on. Wind and rain have died down quite a bit. Bailey is asking to go out. His instincts are telling him it's over.

11:25 p.m. Half way through "The Last Bride of Ballymuir". Romance.

Took Bailey out front for a short walk down the block. Just a drizzle and light rain. Trees are down. What I could see is not good. Hear a few generators.

I'm going to bed. I'm praying what I'm hearing on the radio/TV is exaggeration.


Friday, September 19th

3:00 p.m. Slept well. Woke at 6:30, no electricity or phone. Brushed my teeth, washed my face, threw on my shorts, t-shirt and tennis shoes. The sun is just lighting the sky.

Bailey and I walked every where. He was checking out his neighborhood. Chimney's are gone, trees split in half, trees upended. Only 3 houses had trees fall onto them. My neighborhood was very lucky.

I spent the morning raking, sweeping, talking to neighbors.

The houses across the street have NO signs of hurricane damage in the front...no limbs, no leaves, nothing. Nature.

We got power back about 11:00 and phone and cable. I emptied the fridge. The freezer did well. I packed it with bags of ice so everything stayed frozen.

Talked to my family and a few friends. My mother lives in an old house with big trees and lots of power lines. She never lost electricity! My brother lost electricity but has gas hot water and cooking. My sister lost her electrical box...the thing on the outside of the house...blew off. That doesn't sound good. Most of my friends were still with out power but expected it soon, after all they have underground cables. Ewe Knit Kits and Yarn is closed...no power at the shop or her home.


Saturday, September 20th

12:30 p.m. I left at 10:00 this morning to run to Harris Teeter. My neighborhood is getting back into shape. Piles of limbs and leaves line the curb.

I had to move into the left hand lane at Volvo and Eden Way...the line of cars waiting for gas at the Fake 7/11 was very long....I wondered why?????

Target and Harris Teeter were the only stores open in the shopping center. Best Buy, Babies R Us, Steinmart, Pier 1, Barnes and Noble were closed. Harris Teeter was giving away ice. The line was long. HT had a generator that kept the cold food cold. So I picked up a few things and went home.

Life is back to normal for me.


Sunday, September 21st

Life is normal. Walked Bailey, read the paper, washed clothes, raked a few more leaves, knitted, read.

Finished seaming Obi....it fits very nicely. Now to knit the front ribbing. Should go fast. K1,P1 28 times! Emmy's are on so I'll get a lot done.

1 million still without power.