It started with the East Coast Earthquake of 2011.You can’t really prepare for an earthquake, except to have a plan of action in the event you ever find yourself in the middle of one. Normally, only a trip to some remote corner of the world, or at least to the west coast of the USA, would make such a concern reasonable for a resident of the DC area. A couple of weeks ago, that line of thinking proved to be faulty, as Mineral, Virginia produced its very own trembler.
The entire eastern part of the country felt it, including my town, about a hundred miles from the epicenter. In DC, the National Cathedral and the Washington Monument will both need major restorations done, but my immediate area suffered little damage, and the quake seemed to be more of a curiosity than a disaster. That is not to say I was not shocked, though, when the earth moved under my feet on August 23, 2011.
Before the wonder of the earthquake had faded, tropical storm Irene made its appearance. It soon developed into an authentic hurricane whose predicted path encompassed the entire eastern coast of the nation. Only time would tell which area would be hit the hardest.
Unlike earthquakes, hurricanes allow plenty of time to prepare, and that’s what the Mid-Atlantic coast did. Stores sold out of batteries and drinking water before you could dig out your shopping list. Peanut butter, tuna fish, bread, and snacks soon followed. People stored their lawn furniture away and taped their windows. I hunkered down, alone with two cats and a small dog, to see it through.
Irene turned out to be pretty easy on the region, saving her wrath for points farther north. The power was out for some time, and small branches littered our front yard. The heavy rain added five or six inches of water to our mostly empty pool. I won’t deny that I was happy to have sturdy shelter that night, but at my location, it wasn’t much different than a good, old summer storm.
Two harrowing events that many people will never experience, both happening within the space of 5 days, by themselves, would make for a week I will never forget. But there’s more.
Enter Guinness…a 90 pound, 9 month old bundle of exuberance and drool who thinks he’s a lap dag. In reality, he is a puppy who chews and licks and commands, by his very presence, everyone’s attention. Have I mentioned how much I dislike dog slobber? Guinness is now going to be part of my workday…a turn of events that certainly qualifies as another major event of the summer.
An earthquake, a hurricane, and a mastiff make definite impressions, but none of them will have the impact of the final experience. Come back next time to find out about “The Ultimate Impact”.
Photo from Nasa.Gov
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