Chapter 3: Chapter Three
We awaken with the wind still blowing hard and not the sunlight we had the day before. I get up and walk over to the balcony. The waves look very rough. I'm glad we got to enjoy the water yesterday. I get dressed and we head downstairs. Tara already has the tv on the weather channel. At the last update it is a category 3 with sustained winds 125 mph. It is almost a category 4 hurricane. They have a meteorologist in Myrtle Beach. It isn't raining here yet but you can feel the moisture in the air.
We decide to go out and get some donuts and coffee for breakfast. So, we take off in the jeep the donut place is just down the road. It is almost like a Starbucks with the different teas and coffees they offer. And they have the best donuts I've ever had. We get there and we place our order for coffee and then move over to the donut counter. I love their blueberry donuts. Delicious. We sit down at two of the little tables and enjoy our not so good for you breakfast. The palm trees lining the road are really whipping in the wind. And to think the storm hasn't even got here yet. We sit here a little while after eating. There aren't many people out and about today.
We over hear from the tv in the café that they are expecting a storm surge of at least 4 feet. Brad when we get back to the house. I want to see how much higher the parking spots are elevated from the ground.
"Ok. I think I have a tape measure in the jeep."
Would y'all like to go back to Broadway at the beach and ride the jet boats if they are open?
"Sure, let's do it."
We arrive there and park. If we go in right across from where we parked there is a bridge that goes right to it. So, we head that way. Some people are standing at the railing throwing food into the water for those nasty carp. It is so gross watching those fish going after the food. Tara is jumping around all excited to get on the boat. The man there, hands us a release form to sign and fits us with a life vest. He then helps us into the boat. I'm getting so excited.
He hooks the rope across the ramp and takes his seat behind the wheel. The boat starts and you can feel the powerful vibrations from the motor. It starts to pull off. Then it takes off skidding across the water round buoys. Throwing water all over us. He spins the boat around and take off back toward the dock. The boat spins into a 360-degree turn. We are all screaming. This is so much fun. He takes us back down through the buoys again. Then spins a few more 360s. And then takes us back to the dock. He cuts the boat off and helps us out. We are so hyped up after that ride. I'm so glad we did it.
I hope nobody wants to stop anywhere before we get back to the house. Our clothes are soaked. All the way back all we talk about is the jet boat ride. We will definitely have to do that again. Maybe before we go home. When we arrive back at the house it is high tide and the waves are coming a good ways up on the beach already. Brad gets his tape measure.
"The top of the concert where we park is two feet above ground level. So, it may be possible for the water to get up for the vehicles. But we have to take into count the slope up the beach. That is probably where they are starting to count the height of the surge." Brad says.
"I think we should leave. What if the wind is too strong for the house? What if we get trapped in there?"
"Shane everything will be ok. We figured some things would get messed up. But this is an experience of a life time." Tara says to him.
She gets him calmed down. I hope he can keep his cool when the storm hits. They are now forecasting the eye to make landfall in the morning somewhere around myrtle beach. So, we will definitely be in the eye wall at some point. Hopefully Ivy doesn't strengthen more before landfall.
"I'm going to run out and get a bucket of fried chicken and a couple pizzas. We can eat them cold if need be." Brad says.
Him and Shane get in the truck and drive off. Tara and me sit in the living room watching the tv and constantly glancing out the windows. The gusts of wind are making the windows and doors pop. I don't think they will blow in. They should be hurricane windows. But it still makes us as little uneasy. We keep watching the weather channel since they have a few of there people in different places in this area. One is standing on the beach and he is getting whipped up on pretty bad. We start hearing a ticking noise. It has started raining. The radar is showing a couple bands coming onshore. They don't look bad. Just some green in the bands.
Brad and Shane arrive back at the house. The food smells so good. They got soaked just trying to bring the food into the house.
"What do you want us to do with the food, April."
Just put it in the frig. We can heat it up if we want to. I know none of us are too good for cold pizza and chicken. It looks like that band has passed the rain stopped and the wind calmed down a little. I go start getting the flashlights placed around if we need them. I know the house has a generator but it runs off of city gas. If the city cuts the gas lines off, we will lose power. Fingers crossed they don't.
"They have put this whole area in a tornado watch." Tara says.
I expected that we would be placed in one. I'm just worried about the tornado warnings. I pray we don't get put into one of them. I really don't know where we would go in here. Other than the half bathroom. It is almost in the center of the house without any windows. We all should be able to get in there.
Shane is standing at the windows facing the ocean. Everything just looks grey. There must be another band coming in. All of a sudden a strong gust hits the house and the rain comes pouring down again. Shane jumps back from the windows. This band is a lot stronger than the first one.
"What is that?" Brad shouts.
What are you talking about?
"That there over the water." Brad points.
Oh, wow. Y'all come look it's a water spout. Tara grabs her phone and starts taking pictures. It isn't heading toward the house. It's on a more southern path. I keep glancing at the tv and they haven't issued a tornado warning yet.
"It's gone." Tara shouts.
I haven't ever seen a water spout in person before. It was really cool. Especially since we weren't in any danger from it. The rain continues a few more minutes and then stops. Since it has calmed down for now Tara and I are looking through the photos of the water spout on her phone. She takes really good pictures. I had told her before that she needs to go into photography. I could only imagine the photos that she would take with the proper equipment.
Brad speaks up. "They just did another update on the storm. It is still a Category 3 with 125mph winds. He said the pressure has dropped a little."
I ask. Are they expecting it to strengthen more?
"He didn't say. Just that the pressure dropped?"
Ok. I guess that is good news. Then the tv starts beeping. TORNADO WARNING – Horry County, SC. We take off to the windows trying to see anything. But it isn't even raining. The wind is even calmer than it had been. That does make it kind of eerie. The sky is just flat grey clouds. Shane runs to the half bathroom.
"I'm not risking it. You all can stand in front of the windows if you want. But not me." He says.
We all just laugh. It is fine if he feels safer in there. He wasn't really sure about this trip anyway. Shane wasn't raised in our area. Where when they issue a tornado warning, people in our area go stand outside and look for it. When I was in high school we didn't take cover until the principal visually sees the tornado. It was the same for a factory I worked in. So I guess it is learned behavior. Brad, Tara and I step out onto the deck to get a better look. For as far as we can see in both directions there isn't a tornado. Tara goes over to the bathroom door and knocks on it.
"Shane you can come out. We went outside and don't see anything."
Shane comes out just in time for them to cancel the tornado warning. He goes over to the frig and grabs a beer. And says.
"I hope we don't have anymore warnings."
We all agree.
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