Hurricane Dorian: Good Riddance!

Thursday, Sept. 5, 2019 was D Day- Dorian Day. This was the day Hurricane Dorian finally closed in on the Charleston area after several days of anticipation. In the wee hours Category 3 wind gusts commenced an assault that would last more than 12 hours.

Our power went off at 5:40 a.m. and returned 20 minutes later. Maybe this won’t be so bad, I thought at that time. But at 8 a.m. the electricity went off again. And off it would remain for 26 hours until 10 yesterday morning.

The heavy winds and rain persisted throughout the day. I ventured out only a few times. The video above I took from the front porch. And the below clip I took from the garage door. 

Seeing a few branches sticking into the ground straight up like this was another reason to think twice about venturing out before the severe weather was over.  Being struck by such a projectile would not be a good thing. I shot this video today in the aftermath of Dorian. 

Hats off to the Charleston Post and Courier for still producing and delivering its first-rate newspaper during this crisis. A message from the P&C said the Thursday edition was home delivered the night before after 10 p.m. before the worst of Dorian would be felt. 

With the lights and cable out and phone service spotty, I was most appreciative to have the paper. It was read in greater detail than usual. I spent time solving the Jumble word game in the paper, something I only do when really bored. Wow, Jumble has been around for 65 years, I just learned from the link.

I also spent some time reading Walt Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass.”  I had been thinking about him and his classic book for a few weeks, but I can't recall why.

Friday's paper with the headline "colossal mess" was a great word choice. I've spent Friday-Sunday cleaning the colossal mess that is my property. 

Sebastian kept me company in a spare bedroom while I read. With the trees being whipped by gusts I guess-timate at 50-60 mph it was unnerving to be by a window, but I liked the light and view from here. 

Thank God our house is intact, the new roof installed late last year held firm, and all of our trees stood tall before Dorian. There were no better words when Alesia announced at 10 a.m. yesterday- “The power’s back"- while I was on the front porch putting back the hanging baskets, bird nests, and other porch stuff.

A smile of relief! Hurricanes four years straight now: Matthew, Irma, Florence, and now Dorian. Part of life in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. 

On Saturday, I ventured downtown to do something at the College of Charleston and a few other things. On Vanderhorst Street I saw this tree damage. The flooding on the peninsula was gone but the city has its share of Dorian's colossal mess to deal with as well.  

It took hours of work on Friday-Sunday to get the yard back to somewhat normal. I also went on the roofs over the front porch and sunroom in the back to blow off debris. Alesia was a big help Sunday with her help raking and bagging leaves and smaller debris. I finished the weekend work by going over the front and backyards with the lawnmower and then using my blower to spruce up the curb, driveway, sidewalk, porch and patio in the back.  

Dorian was a beast but as most people agree, it could have been a lot worse.  Hopefully this is the end to 2019 hurricane scares and problems in the region and U.S. overall.  Thoughts and prayers to the folks on the Bahamas who suffered such a severe, direct hit.