Haitian Water Torture - Hurricane Hanna

Hurricane Hanna was supposed to miss us. The eye will most likely miss us, but the winds so far have been worse than Gustav. Perhaps that's because it is North of us instead of South of us (but I am just guessing). The rain last night was constant and there is a gutter that is not working correctly - it pours out on the concrete right by our bedroom window where the head of our bed is. The concrete is also right at our head level, so it couldn't be louder. I feel like I got very little sleep last night and am tired, but it is still raining and I wouldn't be able to sleep any more if I tried.

The wind is amazingly strong this morning. Part of that perception could be because we have windows that don't close all the way. They are like 4-5 inch long horizontal blinds. If a real hurricane comes right over us (Ike may be next) then I am not sure how these windows will respond - the rain might come right in. With the windows closed as completely as possible, the curtains still move out from the wall a good two feet when the winds hit. As I type this, part of the gutter system just got blown down. I think that there will be plenty to work on today (which reminds me that I should make sure that our chain saws are ready).

This shows Gustav at the US followed by Hanna over Haiti/DR followed by Ike in the Atlantic:


As much as I am concerned about how we'll do if a real hurricane hits us, I was thinking about how the Haitians without concrete walls and ceilings will do. They have mud, rock, and stick walls that wear away with the rain. Having windows that seal completely is a nice isolation from the noise of the wind (something that I have always taken for granted in the past). I couldn't imagine sleeping in their homes with the wind noise and water dripping through the roof.


It will be a struggle for me to not be crabby today I think. One of God's graces is that the four wheeler is now working, so that will keep my spirits up for a while. I will work on that every extra minute I have (which may be non-existant today).