Yet Another Hurricane

We've spent the last few days in hurricane mode as Hurricane Dorian targeted the east coast. It's now Thursday evening, and the storm has finally pulled away from our area and is headed toward North Carolina. Someone asked me why I would continue to live here when hurricane season is something I have to face every year. My answer was simple. Because this is where I live. This is my home.

The eastern seaboard is a target for hurricanes every season, and more often than not, we're watching the tropics every season. And, yes, there is a chance that our homes could be destroyed, our city demolished, but, in reality, those scenarios can happen anywhere, whether it's by an earthquake, a tornado, or any other natural disaster. There are no guarantees that we will always be safe. 

I grew up in Charleston, and I can't imagine living anywhere else. Some day, I might want to own a mountain home, but I'll always have a home here. Preparing for and watching a hurricane does disrupt the normal flow of my life, but it's a disruption I'm familiar with.

In 1989, Hurricane Hugo devastated our area. I was in college then and could only watch the damage being done to my home from afar. I would have evacuated had I been in the city at that time just as I evacuate for anything over a Category 3. I don't take unnecessary risks, and I heed the warnings of the experts. But I wouldn't leave Charleston forever because hurricanes threaten us every year. It's just something I accept about living in a coastal community. I prepare and pray. And I'm ever aware that the next hurricane could be catastrophic.