Memories of other storms...

[gcarter]

Don't wanna step on any of the other storm threads as they're important and relevant.
But, a little background. My dad was a civilian flight instructor during WW II in Uvalde, TX (about 90 miles west of San Antonio). I was born in San Antonio because of birth complications and during the war there were'nt a lot of extra doctors around.
After the war wound down, mid 1945, we moved to Freeport, TX so my dad could open up a small airport and FBO. Ya gotta understand about the very small, sleepy fishing village that Freeport was. Then one day Dow Chemical decided to build a chemical plant there. There were absolutely no facilities to house people. Dow built a trailer park and that's where we lived until we moved our trailer to the airport property. Also after the war there was an absolute glut of war surplus aircraft on the market. Our little airport was literally covered with war surplus small liaison and trainer aircraft. Let me put a little emphasis on it....you could buy a perfectly good airplane, maybe even practically new, for $200-$500.
It must have been about 1948 there was a hurricane projected to impact Freeport. I've already checked and there's no record of any large storms hitting the coast in those years so it must have been a pretty minimal storm. Anyway, we didn't take any chances, vacated to Houston and stayed with my uncle who lived near Hobby airport (then called Houston International Airport). I don't remember any flooding on our return which probably emphasises the small nature of the storm. What I do remember though was the devestation of the airplanes that had been outside tied to the ground. We had managed to put six smaller planes into the hangar, but all the planes outside were destroyed, piled on top of one another, and upside down. Thinking aboutit now, it must have been an associated tornado did the damage. I suppose the only good thing about it was the low value of the planes. BTW, all of those planes would be very valuable today.

[zelatore]

Being a mid-western boy I don't know nothin' about no huricanes, although I dealt with tornados every year. Out here in CA, I almost miss them. Well, at least the occasional big thunderstorm would be nice. Thunder out here is so rare people will actaully leave their office and go outside to try to 'see' what it is.

My parents nearly had a close-encounter with Camile though back in '69. For their honeymoon they took a small (21'?) plywood cuddy my father had build in his driveway from Evansville, IN to the gulf and back. Lots of stories from that trip of course, but the scary part was that Camile came through just after they got home. If they'd have been on the gulf or anywhere near it when the blow started, they'd never have known what hit them.

[f_inscreenname]

Been through a couple Hurricanes (not bad ones). Had a tornado (ya, we get them in Maryland every couple of years) knock a new house down I was supposed to be working in that day. Lucky enough the job was pushed until the next day and then canceled (go figure). I had to go look at where I almost was. The house was literally picked up and thrown in the house next door, exploding both on impact. Very sobering.
But the worst storm I remember was as a kid. The Blizzard of 1978/1979. Didn’t leave the house for more then a week. Back then you didn’t have the 24 hour news channels telling you it was coming and to prepare. More like, “we may get a inch or two of snow tomorrow but nothing to worry about.”

[samjannarone]

f in,

I was in Boston for that storm, it hit the entire northeast. We must have shoveled 100 driveways, and no school for over a week. Nothing like a huge snowstorm on the coast. Not like a hurricane though- hope all you guys and your families are safe down on the gulf.

Sam

[farmer tx]

George do you remember the one that hit Galveston in 1900?:wink::)

[Ghost]

Been through a couple Hurricanes (not bad ones). ...

But the worst storm I remember was as a kid. The Blizzard of 1978/1979. Didn’t leave the house for more then a week.

I'm in MD too. Will never forget Agnes, where at 2AM my Dad chased down our shiny new Boston Whaler (mooring lines snapped) from a quarter mile offshore in the middle of the storm. He later acknowledged it was not his best decision. Three lessons:

1. You can always get another boat.
2. If you think it's hard to climb into your boat in a dead calm, try it in 50+ mph winds and rough seas after a quarter mile swim.
3. If you do attempt something this crazy, it's *really* nice to have the keys once you are on board... :)

I also remember the winters of 77 and 78. We had big snows both years--over 3 feet one year. We lived in a wacky private neighborhood way out in the sticks with non-county roads. We were snowed in as well--no one left our neighborhood for two and a half weeks, and then, only because a guy with a construction company sent his staff in with their front-end-loaders. It totally rocked. Best sledding ever, snow forts, you name it.

[gcarter]

George do you remember the one that hit Galveston in 1900?:wink::)
No, hahaha
But I did know someone at church (about '48 or so) who went through it and was decorated somehow for saving the lives of quite a few people.

[McGary911]

In '85 or so, Hurricane Gloria passed by the Jersey Shore. No big rain because it was offshore, but the waves were monsters. A bunch of us grabbed our surfboards and rode some of the biggest waves I've ever seen at the Jersey Shore. We got beat up pretty good, but also got some great rides.

One of the local surf shops heard we were out there, and had a bunch of Tshirts printed up which they gave to us. They said something like "Gloria. What a Bitch" :propeller:.

Wish I still had that shirt. Old GF threw it in the garbage when she was mad at me.

[Morgan's Cloud]

Being the size of a pimple on an elephant's a$$ has it's advantages if your located in hurricane alley .
Even though we're on high alert for 6 months of the year , actual 'Direct hits" are relatively far between because of our microscopic size.
So a side effect of this is that everyone has a completely different take on what to expect based on wether they were either born yet for the last one , or wether they can even clearly remember their 'first one' .
I was just a (really, really) little kid when Arlene scored a direct hit in -63 but I have no clear memory of it. My first 'official' hit was in -87 with Emily.
(really scared me by the way)
My brother , only a bit younger , has Fabian in 2003 as his first hit as he was overseas for a long time and missed out on Emily.
(He wasn't too pleased with Fabain either :shocking:)
As far as tornadoes go .. forget it. What really worries me in a hurricane isn't the 'normal' winds , it's the possobility that they could be packing twisters as well .... When you hear them above the howl of the hurricane winds, all you can do is hope they pass you by ..
Nope , wouldn't want to live in Tornado Alley ! !
George , are there certain people around here trying to make you out to be the relic of the board ? ?
:biggrin:

[gcarter]

George , are there certain people around here trying to make you out to be the relic of the board ? ?
:biggrin:
I don't know, but I may have done it to myself.
It may be the uniqueness of my upbringing and certain events, but I can remember a lot of details of when I was three or four years old.
I'm a lot younger than MOP or Margo.

[Morgan's Cloud]

It may be the uniqueness of my upbringing and certain events,
must ....... resist ..........urge..........to .......... ask............pointed............questions .....
must ....... resist ........ :tongue:

[gcarter]

must ....... resist ..........urge..........to .......... ask............pointed............questions .....
must ....... resist ........ :tongue:
No biggie... just not everyone was raised on an airport.
When I was young, I loved to fly. Airplanes were extremely fascinating to me. I lived an airplane saturated life.

[Morgan's Cloud]

I did a 10 year stint at our airport also ... I think there's a lot of crossover appeal for people with a technical interest in performance boats and aircraft.
Saw a good few interesting things over the years , even a detailed tour on the Concorde.
Don't even mention the 'associated characters' ... haha
Steve