Storm's apparent target is 100 miles north of Corpus Christi
I've been awake since 3am, shortly after the power went out momentarily. Yes, I know; I'm an early riser anyway, but THIS is ridiculous- even for me. I awoke to sustained 45mph winds and heavy rain, just enough to make me nervous enough to know that I wouldn't be getting back to sleep. Claudette became a hurricane at about 1am this morning, and while she won't officially make landfall until sometime this afternoon, as far as I'm concerned she's already here.
I'm feeling rather anxious, although there doesn't appear to be anything to worry about at this point. The hurricane is supposed to make landfall somewhere in the general vicinity of Palacios, which is about 100 miles to the southeast of Seabrook. We're on the northeast, or "dirty" side of the storm, which means that we'll likely get the worst of the wind and rain.
I've been through a few tropical storms in my six years here, but this is my first hurricane. That, I suppose, would account for my being so nervous. It's the not knowing what to expect that has put me rather on edge.
As I'm writing this, I'm watching a reporter from Channel 13 getting battered around in the wind and rain in Port O'Connor. Sure, it makes for dramatic TV, but all I really have to do to get a feel for what's going on is to listen to what's happening outside. It looks as if someone is hellbent on winning a Peabody Award in the Risking One's Neck In The Pursuit Of Gratuitous And Self-Evident Disaster Footage category. Get the hell out of the rain, willya??
I was told yesterday afternoon that, in the event of a hurricane, I'm still expected to be at work. Right; like I'm going to be able to get much done on a day like this. At least I can spend the day at my desk. Susan spends her days driving around the Bay Area, but I'm hoping that she'll see discretion as the better part of valor and decide to stay home.
If nothing else, this ought to be an interesting day. Stay tuned, and let's hope for the best, eh?
