FIRST PERSON | SUFFOLK, Va. -- Here comes Hurricane Irene. Hurricane Irene is headed toward North Carolina and then through Hampton Roads, Va. My family and myself are staying in Suffolk to ride out the storm. Some are staying while others are leaving to get out of Irene's way.
By looking skyward I can see that Irene is near. The clouds are getting dark and enclosing the area. The air feels cool to the touch and the sky looks as though it is ready to cry.
Stocked with water, food, and batteries we feel we are ready to ride out the storm. Gas tanks are full in case we have to escape after Irene leaves. My husband waited 20 minutes to get gas and many gas stations were sold out. I have heard reports of people sitting in traffic for hours trying to evacuate.
This may sound pessimistic but we are expecting to lose power as we have above ground power lines. With wind forces expected to reach up to 100-mph it would be foolish to expect power lines to stay intact.
We plan to sleep upstairs to avoid any possible flooding. Staying away from windows is a must once Irene takes landfall in our area. I have been through Hurricane Floyd, Hurricane Isabel, and Tropical Storm Bonnie while living in Hampton Roads. While on a Florida vacation my family and myself were trapped in a hotel room during Hurricane Jeanne. We were unprepared for Hurricane Jeanne which is why we were on vacation when a hurricane came through.
Here comes Hurricane Irene. You can see her coming as she darkens the sky with her veil. Soon she will be blowing leaves and possibly flooding grounds. At least she is kind enough to give warning unlike the East coast earthquake I experienced just days ago.
On Saturday, Irene is getting closer. The retention pond in the back yard is starting to flood as Hurricane Irene approaches. As I supposed yesterday Irene is flooding grounds. As I am sitting home with Fox News on the TV. New York residents are being told to evacuate.
As of now I still have power although we did lose power briefly as the T.V. went off and back on. Only time will tell what else Irene will bring to myself and others.
