September is the high month for hurricane season. The mid-way point is generally the first week of the month; usually around my birthday.

Hurricanes come in all sizes and though many people think a tropical storm or category 1 hurricane is not a big deal, these storms can wreak as much havoc as a category 5. Katrina blew away the coast of Mississippi and residents had to rebuild. This year we saw a category 1 storm cause extensive and epic flooding in Louisiana leaving those residents to rebuild.  If you live by the sea it is always a good idea to have an escape plan, keep a separate account or stash of money to pay for an unexpected trip to a hotel out of the storm’s way.

My family has had to evacuate many times for a variety of hurricanes and tropical storms. We always felt we would stay for a category 1 but leave for the others. For one storm we did stay after boarding up the house except for the small windows by the front door. We lived in Surfside Beach SC, just 1 mile from the shoreline. Our elevation was “safe” we were told, so we stayed. The wind whipped ferociously. The power went out. The kids were both excited and scared. Our calm dog had had enough. When it was over we walked outside the next day to see that a large portion of a tree had just missed our house. We heard of a tornado that hit a neighboring subdivision. We decided then and there that we would evacuate for any other storms; and we did.

We devised a plan, stashed cash for hotel and restaurant meals and anything else we’d need. We had inland friends that we could count on for a safe place to stay.

But not all storms at sea are wicked. Not all come on shore.

A storm at sea, a front passing through, a pop-up storm can be beautiful and exciting to watch. Of course it is wise to stay out of the water, away from tall trees and metal objects. If you can watch from your vacation condo balcony you’ll be treated to a wonderful scene. But be safe; a water spout can come on shore and head toward your building.

S is for storms at sea.