#4 Postby cajungal » Wed Jun 01, 2005 8:55 am
I started to get interested in the tropics at a very young age. Don't remember the exact age. I remember my mom always talking to me about Hurricane Betsy. And I was fascinated with the story that I would ask tons of questions about it. My mom told me how they were in the eyewall. And the wind was so loud that it sounded like a freight train going through their living room. And how they went without power for almost 3 weeks. And how they had to stand in line for over 2 hours just to get a block of ice for a cold drink. My uncle has the book on Betsy and the damage to Thibodaux just blew my mind. And the pictures where my dad lived (Cut Off) which was closer to the coast, was almost catostrophic. I don't see how their house survived. In fact, it still stands today.
Then, when Andrew came along, I got really hooked. I remember how excited and terrified I was at the same time. When the hurricane force winds came roaring through, I was actually shaking with fear. It was my brother who was 13 at the time who calmed me down. And he is 2 years and 4 months younger than me. I will never forget the roaring wind, the pine trees in the yard touching all the way to the ground. My bedroom curtains being sucked all the way in with no let up. Sitting on my front porch watching the gale winds arrive until it was too dangerous to sit outside. We lost power as soon as the first feederbands came in. We did not get power until 8 days later. We were one of the last ones in Terrebonne Parish to get power back. 2 telephone poles were completly down and cracked in half a mile down the road. And I will never forget sleeping in Sears with the dog just to get a generator. And the power came back on as soon as we got home with it! And I will never forget losing our fishing camp during Andrew. Only 2 walls were still standing. Everything else was swept into the bayou. A camp that has been in our family for at least 20 years or more. We since bought another fishing camp in almost the same location, but it will never be the same. The memories our first camp had!
Sorry, I am rambling again. But, ever since then, I have been totally hooked and as long as I am living on the Louisiana Gulf Coast, I probably will always be obsessed with Hurricane Season.
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seriuosly, then came the Hugo threat. I started becoming interested in the power. I can't wait until my kids are all grown up so I can chase one. I also like strong thunderstorms and tornados.
