Learning the Hard Way: Hurricane Matthew

I've had to learn a few thing the hard way. One of the most recent was the importance of being prepared. Normally, I am a very cautious person. I would much rather play it safe than be sorry. But, I am also good with money and don't like to spend it unnecessarily.

I live in the Hampton Roads area. I know that the area is prone to flooding and I know what, typically, to expect from storms. This area isn't known for having a lot of hurricane activity, but living on the coastline, you know if can happen. I keep an eye on the weather. I don't like to be caught off guard.

The flooding in front of my apartment

My boyfriend and I had been watching the development of Hurricane Matthew before it was even projected to impact our area. When it looked like the storm could possible hit our area we began to plan. It was a week before the storm was forecasted to hit us and we were talking about what foods we needed to get, where we could store water, and if we should get a camp stove in case we loose power for an extended period of time after the storm. We even came up with an evacuation plan, just in case.

Well, about about four days before the predicted impact date the forecast changed. The hurricane was supposed to turn and loop back to the Bahamas. The weathermen said all we would get is a 1/2 inch of rain and light winds. Nothing to be concerned about. Well, we've had more rain and wind from summer thunderstorms. My boyfriend and I decided not to go to the store. We did not store water. We did not get a camp stove.

Saturday morning was drizzly. Just like the weathermen said it would be. I carpooled to a conference for work that was an hour away. I was inside all day. During breaks we would look outside, but it didn't seem like anymore than rain and light winds. Just like the forecast called for. About a half hour before the meeting ended we could hear the rain pounding on the building. It sounded bad. That was when I got a notification on my phone that Hurricane Matthew had made landfall in South Carolina, which it was not anticipated to do.

The drive home was not fun. Some of the roads had standing water. The rain was blinding. And the wind. Well, it wasn't my favorite part that's for sure. By the time I was dropped off the wind was near tropical storm force. It was very late in the afternoon and it was getting dark. My boyfriend and I evaluated our supply of non-perishable food. We figured we would be fine if we lost power for the night.

A little less than an hour later the weatherman on our local station started calling for 8 inches of rain and gusts over 60mph for our area. This was not supposed to happen. He started apologizing on air. They hadn't seen this coming and he knew that the viewers were not properly prepared for the storm.

My boyfriend and I decided that we should try to get to the store before it got any worse. We figured there would be a lot of people, but we were in no rush. We just needed more than bread and peanut butter if we lost power. We got dressed for the storm and clad in our rain gear we ran for the car and set out for the store. We didn't even make it 50 yards out of the parking lot. It was flooded. We were stuck. We had had a tropical storm and a nor'easter the previous month and we had not seen flooding anywhere near as bad as we did in our neighborhood that night. It was dark and hard to determine how deep the water was so we turned back. We didn't want to risk getting stuck or worse, making it out but not being able to get back home.

What could have been our last cooked meal for days.

I decided that we should at least have a good meal before the power went out and we were limited to bread, nuts, and peanut butter. The entire time I was preparing our meal the power was dipping. We filled both of our pitchers with water. We knew it wouldn't be enough for the long run, but it was all we had. As we ate dinner we listen to the weatherman tell us how bad it was going to get.

That night was awful. It sounded like the singles were being torn off one by one. At one point the winds were particularly gusty and it sounded like the roof was being lifted up. The rain was blanketing the entire area and you couldn't see more than a few feet outside the window. When I woke up the next morning al I could hear was wind.

The waters ended up being about 8 inches in the deepest points.

I decided it was my best chance to walk my dog. I knew she wouldn't walk in the rain, and it could be the last time before the late afternoon to get in a walk. I bundled both of us up and pulled on my rain boots before we headed out. Armed with my camera, I wanted to see the damage the storm had left.

I thought there was a little puddle in the parking in front of my apartment. I was wrong. I saw my poor little girl walk off the sidewalk and was instantly swimming. The floodwater went about 6 inches up my boot. I had to carry her across the parking lot. She quickly did her business, which I was grateful for. But, I wanted to see how bad the flooding was. The entire front half of the neighborhood was underwater. There was no way to get in or out of the complex. We were stuck for sure. I had to carry my little Karma across all of the flooded pathways so we could continue our exploration. I had never seen flooding like this. And that is saying something because I lived on campus at ODU for three years.

The roads looked like rivers.

Karma had an impromptu playdate with the other Boston terrier in our neighborhood. It was the first time they had been able to meet. It was a nice break to the day. After they tired each other out we headed our separate ways.

We were lucky. Our cars were on higher ground. There was no damage, that I could see, to the apartment. And we kept power for the entire storm. We didn't need to survive off peanut butter sandwiches!

The water just had no where to go as it fell so quickly.

But, the fact remains. We had no warning. We had been told for days, including the morning it happened, that we would not get anything from the storm. And then we were slammed with essentially a tropical storm. People in low lying areas of town had no time to get out. Thousands were left without power. Had we been one of them we wouldn't have been able to do much about food. We were not prepared.

So, I have learned something important. Always be prepared. Normally, storms are either as bad as the weathermen call for or better. Typically, they don't become worse. But, that was not the case in this situation.

In the future I will make sure that we are well stocked for the storm. That we will be able to comfortably ride it out if we need to. I know that the weather can be unpredictable. But, it was completely ridiculous how much the forecast changed that day. No one saw it coming. But, next time we will. We will be ready.

For more information on preparing for hurricanes visit one of this fine sites: FEMA, NOAA, or my own article.

Remember: it is always better to be safe than sorry.