Two Years Ago Today

[beachbum_al]

It doesn't seem like it has been two years. Two years since hurricane ivan destroyed the Alabama and Florida Coast Line. I remember that night so well. We decided to stay here because my husband couldn't leave. He had to stay at work so we packed up the dog, the children, and our few belongings and headed up to his work place. Several families gathered in the building. We knew it was going to be bad but I never dreamed what it would do to the coast. It was raining when we arrive at my husband's work. He got the children inside and I started unloading the blankets, the playyard, a few toys for them, food, medicines, etc. We finally got out 90lb lab in the spare room of his office. The rain continue to fall and the wind was just picking up. Nothing major but just slightly breezy. This was late morning time.

By early afternoon the wind start to pick up and the wind blew side ways. We watched the television and cooked a big bowl of etouffee that afternoon. I started making the coffee because I knew we would all need it by late tonight. Many of us were worried because at the particular time the storm was forecast to go to the West of us and we would be on the East side of the storm which was the strongest. There was strong chance that the storm could come up Mobile Bay or close to it. Being right on Mobile Bay on the Eastern Shore that was not good news for us.

By late afternoon the winds were tropical storm force. Still not scared but worried because this was just the beginning. I was worry about many things. What if the building did not hold up? Yes it had made it through many hurricanes but what if Ivan proved to be the terrible as the weather people said he was. I was also worry about my children. What if they were scared and didn't know how to express themselves. They were very young at the time 5, 3, 2.

The rains started to pound the glass. We could hear the wind blow outside like it was about to take off and land somewhere. Dinner was almost ready and many of us who were trying to hide our fear knew that we would not be able to do so much longer. We ate a great meal that night. The last one for a while! I went back to my husband's office and tuck the girls in. They were sleepy and finally went to sleep by 8pm. Really that was a blessing because the weather was really getting bad outside. For the first time in my life I was scared. It was a strange type of fear. Not so much for myself but for my children and family. Even though my children and husband were with me my mom and dad were with my dying uncle in a house just outside of Fairhope. Not knowing if they were okay was one of the most horrible feelings. And to make matters worse my sister, Bil, and nephew were in Pensacola and I didn't know where they were and how they were doing. All I could think of what if something happens to them and I never get to see them again. I didn't tell them how much I loved them before we left.

The girls were asleep. They never got up during the storm and I am glad. I would had hate for them to be afraid and see me fearful. I went into the other office where the t.v. was and watched the news. Ivan was coming straight for us with a vengeance and he wasn't letting steam out either. The wind blew and several times I thought maybe the roof was going. Not a sound you want to hear. I would get up and walked the building because I was so nervous. Fear was building up inside of me by now. What if we didn't survive. What if the unthinkable happen? What if my family was hurt. I think not knowing and being separated from them was the worse feeling.

I don't' know exactly what time it was but I know the storm was coming in at full force. We were getting hurricane force winds by now. No one dare go into the kitchen since it was surrounded by windows from the back side. We could hear the trees crash. And finally the wind stopped. The rain stop to a slight drip. We walked outside of the building and we could see the stars up above. Yes, it was the eye of the hurricane. Now folks this was the strangest, eerie feeling of all. It was like a peaceful night in the eye. We could see around the damage that had been done. Trees were all over the place. And then we could hear the wind change directions. We hurried back inside the building and the worse was to come. I think what happen from this point on just made me realize how serious hurricanes are. We heard a loud thump and a train like sound. It came right pass us and we could hear trees being dropped like pine needles. Yes, it was a tornado. It took the building next to us and went on down toward the bay. Several streets were impassable by large oak trees that were taken down. By now Ivan had turned a little more to the East and was going into Gulf Shores. I knew our home was going to be a mess since we were about 20 miles from our house and we live approximately 3 miles from weeks bay and 24 miles from Gulf Shores, AL.

The aftermath.
The next morning we got up and started to drive down the main road through Daphne and Fairhope. Trees were down everywhere but downtown looked like it had done pretty well. The beach was a disaster but nothing that could not be repaired. We went to check on my parents house and everything was okay. My uncle house was okay but did have minor roof damage. They had made it through the storm. Still no word on my sister. We didn't know if she was in Pensacola or if they had left. By now I knew what had happen to the Coast and Pensacola. I prayed that she had left and just couldn't get through the phone lines. We drove down HWY 181/27 and finally reached our neighborhood. I feared the worst because one of the building right before you turn to our house no longer had a roof. It was all over the fields. We got to our neighbor's which is behind our house. Her roof was partly missing. Her chimney was all over the place. Parts of it was in our backyard. And then I looked at our roof along with our neighbors all over the place. Bare wood was exposed on almost all of the houses. The siding that lined the eves of the houses lined the yard like snow newly fallen. Trees were blown down or snapped in to. Gates and fences were gone. But this wasn't bad. The next part of my story is what hit me the hardest.

I knew that Foley, Robertsdale, Loxley, Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, and the Florida areas were hit the hardest. My husband had gone down there days after the storm with a city leader to check on family property in Orange Beach and Perdido Beach. By now we had heard from my sister. They had left and were okay. Her job wasn't though. The school she taught at was badly damaged. Their house was okay but the inlaws house had trees all over the place.

My first trip to the beach. I grew up here. Lived all my life. Spent my honeymoon at Orange Beach. Spent my wedding night at the Flora Bama. Ivan destroyed it all. The Flora Bama was gone. The condo we stayed in was gone. It was all gone. The beach was gone. I remember going up to check on our families places in Orange Beach and hearing the constant beeping sound. It reminded me of that sound after the WTC came down that you heard on the t.v. It was a like a constant brrrrrrrr sound. Building were flatten. Houses were moved or washed away. Condos collapse like dominoes. But what it me the hardest was when I walk the beaches and saw people's personal belongings all over the beach. I saw a Santa that once stayed in someone condo for the holidays. I did take the santa and place it next to the condo in hopes that the owner might find it. I saw clothes buried in the sand. And a blender upright and ready to blend that hurricane. It was a sad feeling of disbelief.

And we drove down to FL to check on the other condo. It was damaged but still standing. I wanted to go see the Flora Bama. I had heard but I wanted to see it. It was the place I spent my wedding night. And yes it was gone. Full of sand now.

All of this is memories and lessons learned well. The area has recover. It will never be the same but it will be back. A lot has happen since Ivan. I know what it is like to live through a hurricane and not knowing how your love ones are. It is the most scariest feelings I have ever had. I think this is why Katrina affected me the way it did because I know with a quick turn that could had been us. Ivan could had been much worse for us in Alabama. One thing I did learn from Ivan was the kindness of strangers that at the drop of a hat leave their loving families to help us. One such group was the Baptist group out of New Orleans who came down to Orange Beach to cook us meals while we were cleaning up the pieces. Little did I know that a year later that I would be able to return their favor in one of the worst disaster in America's history. The human heart is much stronger than a hurricane in my book.

[beachbum_al]

Actually it was two years from Sept 16 but you will probably not see me much tomorrow. LOL

Here is a clip from our local news here.
http://www.fox10tv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5414898

Click the video link.

[Jim Cantore]

I already made a thread for all of the anniversarys

http://www.storm2k.org/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=89571

[simplykristi]

I remember staying up all night long just watching Ivan hitting the FL-AL coast.

Kristi