Jeanne, Jeanne, Go Away

I thought I was all done blogging for today, but when I got home from work, my husband informed me that, for the third time in less than two months, our trip home is probably going to be impacted by a hurricane once again.

The last two times, we were stranded in the Midwest because Orlando International Airport was closed and we couldn't take our usual Friday night flight. This time, it looks like we'll be able to get home tomorrow (Friday) night, but we might not be able to get back in time for work on Monday. I must confess, the prospect of being stuck in Celebration is actually a happy one. I know it will have unpleasant repercussions with our employers, but still, I can't be too upset about it. I live for the day when we'll never have to leave Florida again, except maybe to visit relatives (and I'm sure most of them will prefer to come out and visit us).

But of course my travel trials and tribulations pale in comparison to the potential for more damage. Celebration was mercifully spared during both Charley and Frances, but the surrounding areas are still reeling from the destruction. I don't know how much more those poor folks can take. Being a newer town, we benefit from the strict post-Andrew building codes, but some older subdivions and homes have little protection from the battering winds and rain. Many people are still living under tarps, so they don't need another storm to detroy what little they still have left.

Even some of the newer areas took a bad hit in the previous two storms. As we visited the Orlando/Kissimmee over the course of a decade, my husband and I watched many neighborhoods spring up along the expressways. We always watched their progress with interest; we knew we'd be moving to the area one day, and who knows...we thought maybe one of those neighborhoods would be our future home. But even though they're relatively young, many of those buildings are missing significant portions of their roofs. Many Florida rooms are hurricane casualties, too, although it's odd to note that the screened room on one house might be totally detroyed while one right next door is still intact. Weird...it reminds me of the selective destruction of a tornado.

At this point, the theme parks are taking a "wait and see attitude." This would be their third hurricane-related closure in one year after never, ever having even one in the past. This year has been a surreal Twilight Zone episode, and hurricane season isn't even over yet. I'm beginning to wonder if we'll run out of letter of the alphabet before it's all over.

You can email me at celebration@mailblocks.com with any questions, comments, etc.

Check out my Celebration website at www.celebrationinfo.com If the hurricane comes, you can get "up close and personal" from a safe distance via the webcam link.