Quick Update cont'd

So, I'm back home. Driving onto the island I had to get past the NC State Troopers and their "Road Closed" barricade, but was able to do so because - as a resident - I have a nifty little yellow Emergency Pass that allows me back onto the island after a hurricane hits. It is stupid, I know, but I kind of enjoyed waving my little pass at the cops and watching them wave me through; it felt kind of like getting backstage at a rock concert.

Electricity has returned to the island, which didn't appear to have been hit too badly. There were a lot of small branches lying around and a few traffic lights were twisted out of kilter, but I actually saw more damage inland than I did here.

And then I pulled into my place.

Well, I say I pulled into my place, but in fact I couldn't do more than pull off of the road; my driveway was blocked by a dogwood tree that appears to have been ripped out of the ground by its roots. In fact, I think I've taken more damage than any other place I've seen on the island. Nothing landed on my home, which is nice, so it's not like I've lost anything. But in addition to the dogwood a very large tree limb -- I'm guessing it's about a foot in diameter -- snapped from another tree in my front yard and is blocking my front door. I have to skirt it to get in, and I may break out the machete I have in the shed until I can hire a tree company to come and deal with this for me. Lord knows I don't plan on hacking the broken branch off -- that sucker snapped about 25 feet up in the air.

But all in all, I'm happy to have escaped so easily. Like I said, no major damage done to the home, just a week's worth of climbing out from underneath some downed trees. Oh, and I'm pretty sure I made the correct call when I decided to flee before the storm. I certainly would not have wanted to be trapped here, in the dark, listening to the wind and hearing trees getting plucked from out the ground.

So, once again . . . it's all good.