Hurricane Hannah to Hit Charleston, South Carolina?

News reports of late seem to point to Hurricane Hannah almost undoubtedly crashing into the southeastern United States at some point along the eastern seaboard, and now I hear Charleston, SC may be a leader among places Hannah is likely to make landfall. That naturally has had me thinking.

I moved to Charleston in May of this year from my college town of Chapel Hill, NC. I'm no stranger to wicked storms; I used to live in a small town in eastern North Carolina called Kinston, and I went through my share of hurricanes and even a couple eye walls. As a younger kid, before I grew older and helped with hurricane cleanup and saw the effects it had on individuals and families in less fortunate areas of the county, I'd watch the weather channel and almost urge the storms. They excited me. I wanted them to raise in category, to whip into a frenzy. It provided a sense of danger that was completely non-threatening to me at that age. Seeing how hard the trees could snap back and forth and how many buckets of water could drop from the sky was perversely intriguing.

Having seen the effects of hurricanes as I grew older, I no longer had those same feelings - and I don't as Hannah approaches - but at times I still find my thoughts off the mark. I often think more logical, banal thoughts than when I was a kid, granted, such as: Will the power go out? For how long? Will my food stay fresh in the fridge? Is the rain and wind going to foil all my weekend plans? Will the hurricane mercifully clean the car I'm too lazy to wash?

While these are more adult oriented musings, they still are indicative of a sheltered sense of security and a self-centered view. No fear for life, no expressed concern that humans will be harmed. And then I remember Katrina, and although I wasn't in it and never saw the damage first-hand, the pictures and stories I heard resonate, and I realize I'm still completely inwardly focused.

Forget my food. My car. My party plans. Let me cross my fingers and instead hope that no one, anywhere, is adversely affected by Hurricane Hannah beyond the level of inconvenience. Hurricanes aren't simply just "no fun" anymore. They're often terrible tragedies, on one scale or another.

Irrespective of where Hannah or any other storm goes, I need to remember that.