Navigating The Hurricane War Zone

[GoDawgs]

Well, we're not in Oz but the hurricane tried to get us there. Rain from that stationary low dumped 5" of rain on us Thursday. Then the hurricane eye wall came through here in the wee hours of Friday morning. From 4-to 6am we were hit with gusts of 70 mph and a ton of rain. This whole area is torn up. Trees uprooted and down everywhere across power lines and houses. There is no power and no cell phone service for anyone anywhere. The winds ripped the antennas off the cell towers. The power folks estimate 100+ high voltage transmission lines damaged as well as substations across Georgia so there will be no power here for a while. Thank goodness for our generator! At least the reefer and freezer are hooked up and thanks to satellite dishes we can turn on the tv and internet as needed. No local tv stations though.

We are OK here as are the house and outbuildings but the humongous old pecan next to the garden completely uprooted and fell, thankfully away from the garden and it just missed the garden shed. We have several other trees down plus two widow makers and the place is carpeted with leaf and branch debris. I've never been to a war zone but the area around us looks like one. I dumped out 5.1" of rain Thursday am, then another 4.1" Friday am and finally 4.0" Friday afternoon when it was all over. All of that rain just let the wind easily uproot trees.

We prepped all day Wednesday, filling all stock pots and buckets with fresh water for drinking, cooking, bird baths etc. There are also three 55 gallon treated drums out back for that water also. Then there are other big trash cans with water just for toilet flushing. Pickles got the generator in place and we ran the cables into the house so by the end of Wednesday we were ready.

Neither of us got much sleep Thursday night. I just couldn't sleep laying there listening to all of the wind and big thuds, wondering if those thuds were our trees or across the road so I spent the night dozing off and on in the recliner. Power went out at 2:15 am but by 2:45 we had the genny up and stuff connected to it. I've never heard such wind. One big gust actually vibrated the house a little. The airport in Augusta recorded an 82mph.

We took a short drive Friday afternoon looking for a cell signal that didn't exist. We were shocked at what we saw on that 3 mile drive near the house and consider ourselves very fortunate. In many places there was just one lane of road where someone had cut a path through the trees laying across the road. Many such instances, maybe every 200'. It seems no one has been spared. Stores and restaurants will probably be closed for a while. This is why we stay prepped. We will be seemingly living in luxury with power, water and food while others won't have any. I can't imagine the heartache and loss of those poor folks in Florida's Big Bend with 140mph winds but we've had a taste of it. This event has made the big ice storm damage ten years ago look like small potatoes.

The new neighbor across the pasture has been by and used his tractor to push aside a huge tree-sized limb that was blocking the driveway. He has a humongous generator that is also powering his well (ours does not) and he said to come get any water replacements we need as well as hot showers. He has offered to get our gas cans filled when he goes to get his. We're OK for now. Yesterday he drove 70 miles towards Columbia SC before he found gas available. Couldn't go west, north or south due to storm damage.

The garden is a huge mess. I think the brassicas will make it as will the peppers. The cow peas will be iffy. They have funked up before when in standing water for a while. That pretty Morden's cuke on the trellis is near beat to death.

So now it's pick-up time. Yesterday morning Pickles and I cleared paths to the gas cans, the sheds and vehicles. In the afternoon and this morning it's been raking and forking up big piles of debris. Just a tiny bite of this big ole elephant! But we'll get there.

I took a lot of photos but can't post them right now. Will do later. It PAYS to be prepared, people!

[worth1]

I'm glad y'all are safe.

[bower]

So glad to hear you made it through without damage to your home, and enjoying the power water and food for your prepping efforts! It sounds like you've got a real good neighbor too, fantastic!!!
The area devastated by Helene is just huge. Shocking, truly.
Take your time picking up the pieces. Just do what satisfies you every day, and a good break when you need it.

[karstopography]

I was watching Mike’s weather page and saw the track Helene took towards Augusta, yes, well east of the forecast track that hours before had it going west of Atlanta, and thought oh no, I hope @GoDawgs was ready. Apparently, y’all were as ready as possible for such an impossible situation. Saw a figure today the estimated damage from Helene is up over 100 billion dollars.

Be patient cleaning everything up and don’t get hurt doing things your body might not be used to. I messed my right wrist up with days of sawing and moving around massive live oak trunks and branches and the wrist still hasn’t completely healed, almost three months post Beryl. Lots of people get hurt in the clean up long after the storm is over. Watch out for fire ants as all that rainwater and runoff stirs them up and be aware of the venomous snakes being displaced and not where they might be usually found.

[MissS]

What a horrific storm. I'm so glad that you are always well prepared. It sure pays to put in some effort to being prepared for an emergency. There are so very many people out there that have lost everything. My prayers go out to each of them.

Take the clean up slow. There is no huge rush to get it done and it sure isn't going anywhere soon. Your welfare comes first. Baby steps will get it done.

I'm so thankful that you are okay, that you still have a place to call home and a food and water supply that you can count on.

[worth1]

I recall the neighbor I had that wouldn't do anything with the tree after a tropical storm because he was renting.
It was a big mulberry tree and we all know how crappy the wood is in them.
It was about to fall on my property and vehicles.
I finally complained enough that the landlord in California finally hired someone to remove it before it fell completely.

[Whwoz]

Glad to hear you and Pickles are safe @GoDawgs. The clean up will take its time. Sounds like a good mulching crew is required

[PlainJane]

Was really worried about you @GoDawgs … so relieved to hear you both came through ok.

[peebee]

So relieved to hear you & Pickles & your home are safe, what a horrific storm that was. Glad you were ready with supplies to hunker down. Stay safe!

[AZGardener]

I am so glad to know you and Pickles are ok. It certainly pays to prepare, we never know what or when something might hit.

[GoDawgs]

Good morning! It's warm and sticky out there which means it feels like that in the house too. Fans just push it around. I'm grateful that we're in a decent weather slot, hopefully past the 90's and 100's and that cold weather is still little way away.

More cleanup yesterday. I got the area in front of the house raked up from the porch to the big downed pecan tree. Pickles cleared a path to the now rather dysfunctional clothesline (tree across it) and around the house and made a dandy stirfry for lunch. She used various veggies (a yellow squash, small eggplant and green tomatoes from the garden, onion, garlic) and cubed Spam. Very tasty!

More convoys of utility trucks heading south on our highway. Georgia Power says they might have power back up for their local customers by Thursday night. No word yet from the electric co-op that serves our rural part of the county. Much more work to do out here than in the city.

Today's bites of the elephant: I will clear a path to the garden and hope the standing water between beds has been sopped up. I need to firm in leaning baby plants set out 10 days ago, reset the poles holding up the cow pea netting, and fix all the blown down netting tunnels over the beds. I think Pickles mentioned she was going to transfer the first water from the big drums of treated water to refill some pots and buckets in the house and work on other areas around the place.

Lunch today will be ramen noodles to include veggies and meat from two grilled chicken drumsticks I found in the freezer and defrosted. I will also add some soy sauce and sesame oilt o the pot and some kimchee to my bowl of it. It should be thick and good!

Still no time for pics.