Lotus Geek :: Scary, but we're fortunate by comparison...

Category Miscellany
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Last night the state of Georgia got a taste Katrina. We had a BUNCH of tornadoes in the state, and a couple of them touched down in my county (Hall). Of course this sent the kids into a frenzy because they could hear the warning horn, and the TV was blaring that we were in a tornado warning - but the storm was about 10 miles above us, so I wasn't worried. We had the power and cable/cable modem go out for brief moments, but overall we're fine. The pic above shows where Katrina is now, and I have added a red dot where we live in Georgia, to give you some perspective.

I'm not sure why, but Hall county gets the most tornadoes of any county in Georgia. Maybe it is because of Lake Lanier - I'm not sure. It's not flat - we're in the foothills of the Appalachians, and we're at about 1700ft above sea level. So, I don't know why we get so many tornadoes - maybe it is true that trailer parks attract tornadoes, because we do have a bunch of those.

But we are extremely fortunate compared to the Gulf Coast. I had the pleasure of living in Biloxi for 13 months, while I attended tech school at Keesler Air Force Base (AFB). Now, this was in 1983 - 1984, before the explosion of casinos down there that reinvigorated that area. Back then it was a sleepy little Southern gulf town, more Southern than vacation destination. However one thing was apparent - the storm known as Hurricane Camille that struck that town in 1969 was an indelible part of that community's psyche, causing catastrophic destruction and loss of life back then. There were even areas that still bore the scars of that storm, some 15 years after Camille struck Biloxi.

Now Biloxi has been struck again, and once again it is one of the worst storms to ever strike the continental US. These are a simple yet strong people, so I know that they will rebound with the astonishing resiliance and optimistic attitude that is such a part of their communal fiber.

Biloxi, I loved my time in your city - I still consider it one of the best times of my life - and I am deeply sorry for your tragedy and loss. Know that the rest of us are here for you, and we send you all our love.

Rock
**Why do we say something is out of whack? What is a whack?

Comments

1 - Was thinking about you last night when they were showing all the warnings around Atlanta. Good to hear you came out OK so I can kick your butt in FF.

Sean---

Posted by Sean Burgess At 10:05:38 AM On 08/30/2005 | - Website - |

2 - Sure am glad I am not in Woodstock, GA. We moved from there to live in Colorado, and I don't miss that siren near my house either. Hope Atlanta is well and the Gulf Cities all clean up OK. We are sending all the help we can from Colorado.

-David

Posted by David V At 10:17:12 AM On 08/30/2005 | - Website - |

3 - i lived in hurricane katrina it made me

but i live in alabama now i made new friends so that makes me happy

Posted by tayte At 07:09:34 PM On 04/11/2006 | - Website - |

4 - Good to hear all is well with you. In CT, we get tornado's once in a while and I can remember hiding in our basement under the stairs one time with the kids. We're expecting the storm tonight and we'll most likely have tornado warnings. We live in a very hilly area but I've seen tornado damage in the next town from me that ripped a nasty path.
I know the whole country will rally to the Gulf states aid. We're lucky to live in a country with the resources available to save and rebuild!

Posted by Curt Stone At 10:33:07 AM On 08/31/2005 | - Website - |