We all breathe a nervous sigh of relief when we are no longer in that cone of probability for a major storm, even as we send thoughts toward those who are now in the path.  We are cautiously slowing the pace of preparedness.  Nonetheless, if you wait until a hurricane is a certainty, you won’t have enough time to bring in the porch furniture, board up if necessary, tie down watercraft or move it to a secure location, and make arrangements for pets, and then prepare to evacuate.  So on the island, the shutters have been going up all week.  The staff, too, has been carefully planning for the storm, starting with closing shutters on some of the hard to reach (and less crucial) windows at the top of the Huyler House, and other public buildings. The canoes were moved early to safety, and small steps have been taken all week to be sure we are ready.  All of South Carolina is under coastal flood warnings and rip tide warnings starting tomorrow.  We will probably see some big surf, and some wind and rain from the outer bands.  As of this posting, Irene is some 400 miles wide, with the eye due to pass 230 miles offshore.  She won’t miss us by much.

It is early in the season, and there are several more scary storms in the Atlantic, so a few reminders can make preparations easier.  When a hurricane IS imminent, you’ll want to be sure that outside furniture is secure, golf carts are under your home; windows and doors are locked securely; gas, water, and power are turned off; and you have a hurricane reentry sticker from the Isle of Palms.  If you are REALLY lucky, like I was today, you (or your mom, to be precise) have some “Go Away Hurricane” Cookies in your freezer, or you can get some from Harriet. Chew the sweetness slowly, and muse on the magic that sends storms back out to sea.

Here is a prior post on Harriet’s Cookies,(they were for sale LAST YEAR, no word yet on this year) and an article about them in the Moultrie News.  More on Rip Currents can be found here.