Friday, August 13, 2004

Hurricane Update. Friday at 5:30 p.m.

2:48 p.m. The rain finally hits. The sky was black, inky black and purple. Looked like mountains, but it was just clouds! The rain was blowing sideways! I THOUGHT I was all prepared but then the batteries in my flashlight died. Aiiieee.

Had a brief panic attack. For real. I mean, come on, I am a person with panic disorder and put me in the middle of an approaching Category 4 hurricane. So I called my Mom like 11 times. And then I turned on HBO.

4 p.m. Ran to the 7-11 down the street, in  my raincoat. I found the LAST flashlight! And it takes AA batteries since there are no D batteries anywhere to be found. At this point, the rain has been light.

The 7-11 is PACKED! Loooong lines. Here is what people are buying: cigarettes, cases of beer and pork rinds. And Mountain Dew. I buy cheese and cookies. ANd since I have a flashlight, if the power goes out, I can use it to find the cheese.

Watched some local coverage of the storm. Down here, Channel 6 is the cheesiest station. A reporter named Donald is standing in the pouring rain in Port Charlotte as the hurricane comes ashore. He is being blown sideways. I hope he gets blown into the ocean. What a moron. The anchors are PRETENDING they are concerned.

4:13 p.m. Mobile homes are being evacuated. Why does God wish so badly to smite mobile homes?

4:22 p.m. Donald, the Channel 6 reporter, just got clonked on the head with roof debris. Good. "The eye is officially here," Donald said. Uh, yeah.

5:22 p.m. Oh joy. The hurricane is headed right to us! But it will lose a lot of strength over land. The worst winds will hit us after 9 p.m. and the storm will go back out to sea near Daytona. I can hear the thunder rumbling outside. Will sign off for now.

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