By Edward A. Forbes
The Bulletin
It’s only a tropical storm they said, but Beryl showed them.
A modest intensification was all it took to become a category one hurricane. I was prepared, mind you. I had bottled water, boarded windows, a Generac whole-house natural gas generator and plenty of food. Oh, and of course, I had several bottles of wine and some beer, just in case, you understand. I went to bed Sunday evening feeling secure.
Being totally deaf in one ear and perhaps stupid in the other, I slept through Beryl’s greeting in the early Monday hours and awoke around 7 a.m. to a very dark house. (Remember that I boarded up the windows.)
I went to the back door to look outside, and good old Beryl grabbed that storm door and tried to take it and me outside to “check it out.” I ran to the front storm door, where a more protected vantage point existed and viewed gusts of wind being very assertive in Beryl’s demonstration of power. I retreated to my recliner.
The Generac was performing as advertised. I had everything operating as if on a traditional power supply. I’m not sure of the exact time we lost power and automatically switched to the Generac, but I was receiving text messages from my daughter and oldest grandson. “Do you have power?” “Yes, I do,” I replied. “Can we come over and stay with you” they queried? “Why, of course”, I replied.
A second or two had passed, and I received another text message from the oldest grandson: “Is it O.K. if I bring a few of my friends?” “Why, of course it’s O.K.,” I replied. He promptly arrived with three of his besties, complete with PlayStation 5 and each person’s favorite game controller. Thus began the friendly invasion that I thoroughly enjoyed.
The youngsters played games and watched movies. When Beryl departed our immediate vicinity, they began forays to gas up generators, feed pets and search for takeout food and “stuff.” Only a group of 20-year-olds would announce a trip to the grocery store and return with two grocery bags filled with Cheetos, chips, tortillas, eggs, and chorizo. They practiced “cooking light.”
My daughter and I conversed, read, and I introduced her to the wonderful world of BritBox, Acorn and PBS Passport, my favorite go-to for crime and detective series from Australia, France, The Netherlands, New Zealand, and the U.K. Subtitles are required or recommended due to foreign languages and incomprehensible accents.
I introduced the 20-year-olds to an old western movie, “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance”.
All too soon, from my selfish perspective, power was restored Thursday afternoon, and my house guests departed to their various locations. I enjoyed the full house while it lasted.
Sadly, as I peruse those without power, damage to their homes, the giant stacks of tree limbs, leaves, and trees, the hundreds of tree-trimming trucks and linemen trucks, I know this was not the experience of far too many.
Maybe Beryl’s true function was to remind us of the power these storms possess. Listen to Emergency Management advice and communications and be prepared to weather another storm. Be vigilant and prepared for the rest of this hurricane season.
(Edward Forbes wants to hear from you. Email him at eforbes1946@gmail.com or mail comments to The Bulletin, P.O. Box 2426, Angleton TX. 77516.)
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