Hurricane Hilary
California has not had a hurricane hit landfall since 1939 so residents here have little or no experience with what to expect. Patti and I moved to California in 1975 and although it has been a number of years, we both have seen the damage that can be done when a strong hurricane comes onshore.
Based on the large number of weather warnings on television, people were taking all types of measures to prepare for Hilary’s arrival. Sand bags were distributed to coastal residents in the event of a storm surge. Residents were strongly advised to shelter at home and travel only if absolutely necessary. People were stocking up on items such as batteries and flashlights in the event of power failures plus food items to last until the storm had passed. One lady purchased 40 cases of water and 5 cases of Capri Sun fruit juice from Costco. She was obviously expecting the worst.
In 1961 when I was 11 and living in Somerville, Hurricane Carla made landfall at Port O’Connor, Texas as a Category 4 with 145 mile per hour winds. Since Somerville was inland I mostly remember heavy rain and winds with some trees that were uprooted. However, areas along the Gulf Coast did suffer quite a bit of damage.
In 1969 Patti was visiting her dad in Gulfport, Mississippi when Hurricane Camille came on land at Bay St. Louis, which is a neighboring town of Gulfport. It was a Category 5 with 175 mile per hour winds and a 24 foot storm surge. Over 5 thousand homes were destroyed, including Patti’s dad’s, and 143 people were killed.
Hilary arrived in Southern California last month as a tropical storm downgraded from a Category 4 hurricane. Some populated areas received 2-3 inches of rain with 35-40 mph winds. There were many flooded streets and some mud runoff in areas that had previously been damaged by fires but no loss of lives was reported. The brunt of the storm came through on a Sunday, and on Monday the sun was shining. The streets were littered with fallings from trees, but where we live, everything else was back to normal. I guess the old saying, “I’d rather be safe than sorry,” applies here.
After the “devastation” created by Hilary, it is now probably time for California residents to be prepared for something more familiar to them---earthquakes.
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