Wednesday, September 12, 2018

I Have a History With Hurricanes by Vonnie Davis

Remember how I freaked out in my last posting about pitching at the Cleveland Rocks Romance convention? I wondered if I could cancel my flight reservations.

Had I known Hurricane Florence would slam the Eastern Coast in a few days, I wouldn't have joked the way I did. On Friday I have flight reservations to fly from south-central Virginia to Charlotte, NC. From there I fly to Cleveland. Our small local airport only has flights to Charlotte or Atlanta. None go North.

Need I remind you Hurricane Florence is slated to strike the coast of North Carolina sometime on Friday?

So, I have no clue if I'm going, or not. Will flights be cancelled? Will I use my "Granny Chicken" card and stay safely at home? I dunno. See, I have a history with hurricanes. Oh, nothing drastic. Just memorable.

I was a week shy of entering first grade when my parents took me on a  vacation to Ocean City, New Jersey. Hurricane Hazel decided to meet us there. My parents had no clue what they were in for as we walked the deserted boardwalk. It was their first trip to the ocean, too. They'd rarely left the farm.

Waves kept coming closer and closer. The edge of the boardwalk grew more wet with every roll of the surf. Suddenly I got knocked over and rolled toward a closed business. My dad grabbed me around the waist like a bag of potatoes and ran for our hotel, dragging my mother in tow. I choked and coughed and cried.

My parents never did go back to the shore.

Nearly 14 years later, I was a Navy wife with a five-month old baby when Hurricane Doria set her sights for the Virginia coastline. We were living in a small apartment along the Chesapeake Bay in Norfolk. When the men were called to their ships to ready them to sail for deeper waters to ride out the hurricane, another Navy wife and I drove the guys to their ship and dropped them off. Marsha and I decided to spend the next few days at their apartment farther inland.

I parked our red beetle along the curb as torrential rains fell. We both rushed into the apartment complex with our babies. She put them both in the crib while I ran out to get my daughter's clothes, diapers, and formula. The car was gone! It was floating down the street. I ran after it as winds blew the little car from the street across the sidewalk and through a spindly hedge. It was finally embedded between two pine trees. I grabbed a rope from the tool box and tied Trigger Beetle to one of the trees. I was wading through water to my shins. Oh, the glory of an armed forces wife.

Fast forward six years and we are living in south-central Pennsylvania when Hurricane Agnes made her presence known. I was six months pregnant with my youngest and he wanted to make his presence known, too. I'd gone into labor.


My doctor had to drive through flooded roads to meet me at the hospital. With medication and bed rest, the contractions finally stopped. Mike didn't come for another three months. The doctor said the change in barometric pressure was throwing a lot of his pregnant patients into labor. Who knew?

Now, Hurricane Florence is looming!

Will I go or will I stay? Will flights be cancelled? Will I get to give the pitch I've drafted? Stay tuned..

14 comments:

Leah St. James said...

Oh...my, Vonnie. You sure do have a history! I can imagine your parents never wanted to encounter the ocean again! I grew at the Central Jersey Shore and early on learned a healthy respect for Mother Nature's sea/water power. I'm scheduled for a vacation in another 10 days to (you guessed it) the North Carolina coast near Wilmington (which is currently Florence's bulls-eye). I'm not sure what the condition of the beach and area will be after the storm passes, but I'm praying for the residents' safety. I'll add you to my list for safe travels!

Margo Hoornstra said...

Never a dull moment, huh, Vonnie? My goodness, you sure do have a history. (Of course, as Leah said ;-) One thing is for sure, whether you stay or whether you go, you will survive. It's just seems to be how things kinda work for you. And, whether you stay or whether you go, best of luck!

Jannine Gallant said...

If you don't go to the conference, you can always submit your proposal to Sourcebooks. I did and am currently waiting on a response. I'm crossing my fingers for you, either way! Did you know more babies are born on a full moon because of the pressure? Like a hurricane, but not quite as strong! My oldest was 10 days early on a full moon, and the place was packed. The nurse said delivery is always busy on a full moon. Interesting factoid. Hey, whatever you decide, stay safe!

Rolynn Anderson said...

You made my morning, Vonnie. Great images! Do your kids know these stories? Don't forget to write them up for their treasure chest...so they can tell their grandkids, etc. And as an Army brat...watching my mother carting babies across the country by herself...hats off to all service spouses who did the yeoman/women's work of supporting service families!

Brenda Whiteside said...

Well, Vonnie, your stories scared the heck out of me, so my vote is you stay. Sorry to miss the conference but I don't think I'd risk a 4th bout. Unless the weatherman gives you better news. Flights will most likely be cancelled anyway. Good luck!

Vonnie Davis said...

Leah, gee hope you can still go on vacation there. I doubt flights will be flying. I'm planning on staying home. It's not worth the risk.

Vonnie Davis said...

Thanks, Margo. Weird things seem to happen to me...or maybe I just see them as off the wall.

Vonnie Davis said...

Full moons and babies? I never knew, Jannine. You wouldn't think things like that would affect our bodies.

Vonnie Davis said...

Yes, I have Rolynn. One year for Christmas I gave each one a scrapbook with family trees going back to the 1500's and gems of family history and my thoughts as I carried each child. Momentos I'd saved, like report cards and art work and newspaper clippings were included along with lots of pictures.

Vonnie Davis said...

I agree, Brenda. I'm keeping my fanny at home. Besides most flights in and out of Charlotte, NC are cancelled.

Andrea Downing said...

Ah, Vonnie, if the flights go you will I'm sure. Having been brought up on Long Island I am well acquainted with hurricanes. there was Hurricane Donna when I was about 14, sent home early from school in NY. My clever brother fixed up the pump out the basement window in case water rose (sandy soil foundations do that sort of thing). Unfortunately, the water got so high that it poured in the window that the pump was going out. Our electrician had to come in a frogman's outfit to fix the power and we saw our stored cans floating without labels. My mother had just redecorated my room so all my animals were downstairs and never quite dried out without smelling. So now I'm a few miles from the shore with tall trees all around me. What do you think I fear most?.

Vonnie Davis said...

What I fear, Andrea. That strong winds will topple one into my home. I have lots of trees around, too.

Angela Adams said...

There is a storyline for a novel somewhere in this post.

Diane Burton said...

Vonnie, I'm glad you're staying put. No sense risking your life. Glad to read that you've shared your adventures with your family. I feel the same way about tornadoes. Unfortunately, we get a few minutes warning but I always take cover. Do as Jannine suggested and send your proposal. You never know.