Happen to have a friend of 31 years - a Marine Korean veteran, too, who lives at Emerald Isle, NC. He and his wife kindly let us use their beach house in past years; retired to a permanent home there, and we visited them ten years ago.
Emerald Isle is located on the island strip of land at the lower right part of North Carolina, a few miles west of Atlantic Beach, being featured on Fox News.
I asked Bernie to feed me news of the hurricane as it gets there tomorrow, and here is his Initial Report, just for us Freepers, entitled From The Dunes of Emerald Isle, North Carolina:
Hi, Margaret!
Here is some live feed from your favorite beach bum.
The first announcement of a hurricane being named has little effect on us old salts. We don't begin to get involved until we find the storm stands a good chance of heading in our direction. That always gives us a good number of days for preparations. Once we see the storm is really targeted for our shoreline we begin to get serious about preparing. We will remain in our house (on the island) for a Category II or a small Category III unless that storm is directly off our shoreline. We can handle 100-120 mph storms and have for many years. The town will order a mandatory evacuation but you are allowed to stay if you wish. Sometimes, the town officials will come around and give you a direct warning and if you still want to stay they will ask you for a list of next-of-kin.
Our preparations are many and varied. Here is the list of activities:
Check out generator.
Fill large gasoline containers for generator.
Buy foods that can be easily cooked on a camp stove.
Gather prescription medicines in one place.
Gather insurance policies, Wills/Trusts/Living Will/Power of Attorney(s).
Collect loose/hidden money in house.
Cash/deposit any checks, keeping enough cash for two weeks living expenses.
Gather tax statements (IRS Records).
Computers and client files will be loaded in trunk of one car and that car stored safely.
Fill up both cars with gasoline.
Fill water jugs (1-gallon milk cartons. 1-per day for each person.
Fill bath tub with water for use in flushing commodes.
Check batteries for flashlights and radio use.
Remove flag pole, deck furniture, bird feeder, bird bath. Put away garden hoses.
Turn off outside propane tank.
Tie down or store outside deck gas grill.
Charge up cell phones.
Store outside garbage containers.
Check for kerosene/propane for lamps and cook stove.
Store up ice.
The final thing is to place storm panels in windows and sliding glass doors.
I cannot describe the feeling of being in a totally dark house for a day or two. You feel like you are being held in solitary confinement. You are so happy to step outside into the sunlight and breathe in clean, fresh air. If it is night when you finally get out of the house then you look up into the sky and thank God for the sky, stars and moon.
There are different rules for living on this island.
Other than the mandatory evacuation the town lets you know that the bridge will be closed when the wind speed reaches 45 mph. The other rule is that if your car, truck or trailer (boat or materials) should break down on the bridge during evacuation, that vehicle will be pushed over the side of the bridge. The county officials and town officials have made it known that there will be no emergency help available on the island after a mandatory evacuation has been ordered. This means police, fire or EMT employees will be unavailable to you. Most of these people will have gone to the mainland during the storm.
Right now, the waves are beginning their long, deep rolls. You can see the wave force building in the ocean and there is a quietness all up and down the shoreline. A few people will walk to the top of the dunes and brave the current winds to see the waves come ashore. The winds are slight right now but they will build as Isabel skirts our Emerald Isle coast, but I have seen those winds so forceful that they have sand blasted old dune walkways back down to a new wood surface. When the wind and waves reach their top strength they will swoop down the beach and remove every set of steps and decks and deposit all the lumber along the shore. Our dunes are fifteen to 20 high and I have seen water splash over the top of these dunes. One storm can remove twenty to 30 feet of dune in no time. I know of no other force as mighty as that ocean when her depths are tickled by a hurricane.
Okay, Margaret, that's all for now. I'll try to keep you posted, but we really aren't expecting a very large storm here. I will be surprised if our winds get much over 75 mph.
Bernie
======================================================
Written like a Marine, eh, JoeSixPack?!
All bases covered - troops prepared - ready to face it.
Of course, this was the drill growing up in Florida, and in the two hurricanes that brushed by Parris Island when I was there, necessitating us (two blocks from the ocean) to move to the second floor of the barracks) - and two in Virginia and remnants of others in the South.
My ISP is going to be off during the night doing an upgrade, but I should have more info tomorrow from him as Isabel moved in.....