Hurricane Season
As I write this, 70 mph gusts are howling outside my bedroom window. The entire island has lost power, and the only sound left is the wind. Just a few hours ago, tornado sirens wailed as swirling clouds passed over, and 11 waterspouts/tornados touched down nearby. For us here on Tybee, this is all part of living here.
When I moved to Tybee Island a decade ago, I had to adapt to hurricane season pretty quickly. But it’s not as bad as you might think, we’re very lucky that we avoid the worst of the storms here. You stock up on water and supplies, stay prepared for a couple of months each year, and ride it out. Sure, losing power isn’t fun, but it usually comes back in a few days. And honestly, the sense of community during these times is like nothing else.
That said, hurricane season definitely complicates running a business. I can deal with no electricity personally, but when I can’t respond to a client’s urgent email because the internet is down, it’s a real problem. Rescheduling or canceling appointments days in advance without knowing how bad the storm will actually can hurt financially. Those uncertainties are the real challenge of hurricane season.
All I can do is hope the weather cooperates and my clients still have a great vacation despite the storms. And in the meantime, I’ll join the locals in treating it like just another part of life here on Tybee.