Hurricane Ike comes to Ohio!

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9/19 ETA: 
We've since learned that Hurricane Ike hit Ohio as a Level 1 hurricane.     There are still some without power.


Wow!  Sunday afternoon, evening, and night were unreal!  Ohio got a small taste of Hurricane Ike, and I simply cannot imagine the power that must have been behind the real thing!  I have never seen sustained winds like that that lasted for hours.  Small branches and leaves were flying everywhere...or rolling like tumbleweeds.  I saw one bird trying to fly.....he was losing the battle. 

I went back home to get our dog, as I knew her box was right under a willow that we've been waiting to fall....most of the limbs had already come down in other storms.  I felt sure it would come down in this one!  Driving home to get her was like driving on an obstacle course...limbs down everywhere on the roads.  I've never seen her so happy to see us....even when we have returned from being been gone several days.

When it was all over, we had no trees come down.  \o/   My in-laws lost three, but did not fall on anything that could not be replaced.   Half of one tree fell while we were there.  We were out on the patio and it fell toward us onto the upper patio.  It took out an old grill, but the smoker and the picnic table survived it.  The other half came down after we left, but fell into the field.    Another tree fell into the same field, but much further from the house.   The third tree that fell was in the horses' area.  It landed on the brand new round bale hay feeder, but we are thankful none of the horses were hurt.

We were without power for more than 50 hours.....which is awesome, as we were told it would 4 to 10 days before we had electric.   We were one of the lucky ones.....we dusted off the generator and hooked up the freezer and fridge and two lamps.   We had borrowed the generator from my in-laws for the summer, to ensure dh's doctorate project was never without power for any great length of time. 

My in-laws were worried about their basement flooding (but the rains never came!), so they told us to keep the generator since we had recently purchased 325 lbs. of beef!!!    They were able to locate and purchase a generator for themselves Monday afternoon......only after calling all around trying to find one.  They were required to secure the purchase with their credit card.  Then they had to drive about an hour and half to get it. 

Lines at the gas stations were unbelievable...everyone filling up their containers so they could run generators.   Fire stations were giving away water.  Local stores had Red Cross and fire stations come in and take the foods from the coolers and freezers and give it away to those in need......I cannot imagine the amount of money they lost.  Everywhere you looked Monday and yesterday, folks were cleaning up trees and debris; pick-up trucks were filled with branches.    Restaurants that had electric had lines and waiting lists.  Restaurants that were normally closed during breakfast hours, opened to serve.   Ice and water at the stores went fast.

Many are still without power....please keep them in  your prayers.  We are so thankful that this took place in September and not January!


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