Some of my best memories living in the South, particularly in Wilmington, was the crazy weather that came to our area. Category 1 and 2 hurricanes, tropical storms, and random ice storms, were some of the weather conditions I grew up with. Sunny days and warm ocean breezes were nice, but the nontraditional impacts of weather is truly what make's our area so unique.
Tropical storms and hurricanes were the most fascinating.We would spend the day before the predicted storm time, covering up the cars with tarp and wrapping our outdoor furniture in industrial strength rope. The storm lamp would be checked for batteries, and a trip to the supermarket would be taken to pick up any necessities that we might have needed for the next few days.As the storm arrived, I would crawl into bed and watch the leaves of the trees blow in the storm winds. The weather radio would be on and we'd listen to the forecast.I had my first experience with a hurricane back in 2004 with Frances, and ever since then I was hooked. It was a natural weather occurrence for those of us who grew up near the water and so I was never frightened. It was an awe moment and one that was truly beautiful. The skies would be a medium grey and the air would look somewhat eerie. All of the electronics would be unplugged because the wind would cause trees to fall on the power lines, so I had to find alternative ways to occupy my time.When I was younger, my mother would read me stories by the lantern in the living room.As I got older I would use the time to practice my music, much to the chagrin of my parents, or I'd write. Though the storm was raging outside the walls of my home, inside it was peaceful and calm.
Another memory of the various weather patterns in my town,was about 3 years ago during the tenth grade. It was unusually cold weather and an ice/snow storm swept through the region. We were originally only supposed to be out of school for 2 days, but 2 days turned into 7. My mother and grandmother stayed at home because their work had been cancelled as well. This was one of the first times that I had seen snow in about 7 years so I took full advantage of the half inch that landed in my backyard. My dog and I spent the day running through the storm, even though he didn't know quite what to do with himself, as it was the first time he'd seen snow since he was a puppy. Though the roads were extremely icy and the weathermen warned the townspeople to stay inside because of the threat of falling trees and branches, cars were attempting to drive on the roads. My mother, grandmother,and I, huddled into my mother's heated car and drove slowly to the gas station down our street to get coffee and hot chocolate. The only downside to the freak weather was that our school board decided to add 30 minutes to each school day until the end of the year to make up for our missed school days. But having that week to disconnect and experience nature and the snow for a while, was completely worth the elongated school day.
The South is described as one of the most beautiful regions in the country, With the historic downtown districts and horse-drawn carriage rides, I could see why anyone would want to visit. But though the beaches and the sunny weather and of course, the architecture, are what many see as the most alluring parts of the South, nothing is as unique as the different forms of weather we've seen in the past few years. The weather is what brings solace and allows you to look at your town in a whole different light.
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