Dodged a Few Bullets

We've been following Hurricane Irene since her formation.  We watch the tropical updates daily. I know more than I wish I needed to about convection, warm water fuel, and tropical waves.  So, Irene was born, and we watched. And waited. Mercifully, the Keys are out of her path.  Worrisome, however, is the path she's presently on puts many friends and loved ones in her path.

So the waiting and watching continues.

Over the weekend, preparations were made around the inn.  All the trees were well trimmed, and all the coconuts taken down (seriously, coconuts are like cannonballs in the wind, never realized that until I moved here).  I didn't have to really get into the nitty gritty of interior preparations, thank goodness, for when I do, its massive. All exterior clutter is taken down and stowed.  Everything on all the porches is taken in and stowed. Shutters come down. Food and water is stockpiled.  Crates and cages are readied for the animals.

I am picturing all that work going on all along the coast north of here.

Thing is, many places in the path are not ready. The construction codes are so poor, there is no chance if there is a direct hit from a major hurricane.  I'm not attacking residents who live there for that, its simply a fact of life.  I know this because I used to live in one of those areas. When we lived someplace else, Mr. Happy Vegan did a major reno on a house we lived in. It was coastal.  On the water, thisclose to a bay.  As he began pouring money and effort into the house with things like special roof strapping, category 5 metal roofing and so forth, people were like "why?"  And we both were shocked that question would even be asked.

Its not like that here.  There's strict construction codes, most of it came after Hurricane Andrew which I think was in 1990.  A direct hit on the mainland by a Category 5 hurricane.  It was a disaster.  So, better codes came out of that, at least for South Florida.

The rest of the country is on its own learning curve.

We've been enjoying some beautiful weather this week.  Hot, breezy, sudden bursts of thunderstorms providing incredible lightning.  Other places still suffer from the threat of a hurricane, continued flooding, continued crippling drought, massive tornado recovery and even a small earthquake (!!) on the East Coast.  Yikes.

I'm never one to be complacent, no, we are as prepared as we can be for a predictable disaster.  Yet, I do find it ironic that I'm living in one of the "highest risk" areas for bad weather right now, and still enjoying essentially tranquil beauty.

I'll take it as long as I can get it.