Hurricane Bill is approximately 385 miles south of Bermuda with rain bands already affecting the archipelago. As an island resident for some three months now, I can say with all certainty that the good folks at NOAA are spot on. I just returned from Horseshoe Beach, a normally idyllic slice of sand on Bermuda’s southern coast where eight-foot waves were crashing onshore.
And at normally quiet Church Bay, the ocean swell is raging.
Of course Bermuda’s residents have been bracing themselves for the storm for days now. Earlier in the week, I wrote about a shopping trip I took to the local hardware store on my blog, Bermuda Shorts. It was pandemonium. People were snapping up everything they could fit in their baskets — flashlights, buckets, tarps, rope, you name it — and returning for more.
It was hard not to walk out of the store with a bag full of flashlights. It was as if fear was on sale and everyone was buying it. And then there was my latest visit to the market. I found myself buying the oddest things: Cans of baked beans, packs of matches, rum. I suppose it’ll come in handy, especially if I’m hunkered down for the weekend, which by all accounts seems very likely.
The sky is dark, the rain is here, and Bill is very much on his way.
Get the latest from Hurricane Bill on David’s blog.
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Meh… forget the survival supplies, and attempt to corner the market on Rum. It will make the total lack of basic necessities seem like a minor inconvenience. :-) (Note: That was a poor attempt at humor; not actual advice.)
As a side note, as any experienced Boy Scout will tell you, a Bic (or better yet, a Zippo and bottle of Ronsonol) is about fifty times more useful than a book of matches, especially if you are expecting moisture.
The sky is dark, the rain is here, and Bill is very much on his way.
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Anyone else forecast CANCELED FLIGHTS and numerous PASSENGERS complaining about the airlines NOT putting them up with HOTEL accomodations?
A bad day in Bermuda is better than a good day in most other places! I’m with Sir Wired — stock up on the rum (especially Gosling’s Black Seal) and Swizzle your way through the storm!