http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky2Z_wfIJNw [clicking this link should take you to a song]
Some storms that have affected my life:
Hurricane Hazel [Ocean City 1933]
This one came long before I was born ...my mother was only 4 years old but it still effects my community today. People still talk about the storm, how it changed the land grid of Ocean City, Md, cutting the barrier island of Assateague into two segments and connecting fresh and salt waters, creating a new bay. It washed away the railroad entrance to the city and destroyed the boardwalk. If you like to read about interesting local history this is pretty good.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1933_Chesapeake_Potomac_hurricane
And I thought this vintage film was interesting!
http://www.ocmuseum.org/index.php/site/video_article/storm_of_1933
No Name [Didn't make the internet list either] but it was the storm of '62 in Strathmere, NJ
My family often visited Strathmere when I was growing up and when we arrived from CA in the summer '63 one of the things we did was go to Strathmere and survey the damage from the year before. I was too young at age 6 to understand but I remember well my mother standing on the beach looking over the devastation still in sight and remarking at how much destruction there was. Scroll down to the storms section nearer the bottom of this page. http://strathmere.net/barkdoll.html I think these pictures look much worse than the Ocean City film above!
Hurricane Agnes (1972)
[I lived on top of a large hill] at age 15....with my mother, waded through thigh deep water from the East Branch of the Brandywine Creek in a campground at the base of the hill to pull other people's camping gear out of the water and hang it in nearby trees [according to a news report this is the only hurricane to ever hit PA and it was downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it hit our neighborhood! It was some tropical storm!
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| Well it wasn't this deep where I was but you get the idea! [this was from Agnes!] |
Hurricane Bob [1991]
I remember no other big threats to our local area until we were warned of Bob's approach. My community was told it was going to destroy us much like Hazel had in 1933. The panic was everywhere. I participated in a prayer vigil and on the day Bob was to hit it turned to the east and went to sea. Sadly it later turned westward again and hit New York City. This morning in talking with others at church some said they didn't even remember "Bob"!
Hurricane Isabel [2003]
I remember watching with the children as the storm hit and blew and RAINED!!!!! Our across the street neighbor's Bradford Pear tree split in half and fell to the ground. That was dramatic but not particularly scary!
| This was Isabel at a pier near Norfolk, VA but it held! |
Hurricane Irene [2011]
Because of Gene's departure for heaven just 4 days before and an earthquake also 4 days before and lots of warnings from every direction...I paid no attention whatsoever as this storm approached.........and this was the one that lifted the roof shingles and tore away the surface of the roof and brought gallons and gallons of water through the roof, through the ceiling fan and the
So where is the simple praise......for me.... in such storms?
#1 Ocean City not only recovered, it now brags about Hazel, celebrates the inlet she created and rejoices that there is a natural preservation area of the island where the bird life and the wild ponies are less disturbed. It rebuilt the boardwalk and is "on the map" as a tourist area!
#2 I marvel at the newspaper article of the influx of people that came from PA to help their neighbor state of NJ dig out from the storm......that is the way it is supposed to work...not lean on the government. I love rescue projects!
#3 I have never forgotten that prayer vigil about Bob and the results! Though I am sorry for the New Yorkers who got hit I saw God turn a hurricane!
#4 The hurricane of my children's young years was a fascinating science lesson watched from the window.
#5 The "disaster of the roof" became a blessing extraordinaire as a friend from church [who would himself escape to heaven within another 2 months] sent me word as an older brother in the Lord.....call the insurance people. [I had thought not to call them because the roof was 20 years old] No, was his message, call them. I called ~ they paid. I do not think there is any other way I could have ever put a roof on our house at that time. And I do not think they would have paid if it had not happened in the hurricane...but not one book or piece of school material was damaged! Additionally out of love and compassion for us the homeschooling community came and did all the labor to replace the roof ~ ~ ~ ~ for free!
So even biggies can turn into simple praises. I like that.
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