Turn East Yonder DORIAN, Turn East!
Thankfully for Savannah, that merciful move, slightly eastward, turned out to be just enough, so that our city (and others to the south and west of us) received only a very windy and rainy glancing blow. Little or no flooding reported here. Some branches fallen and other debris deposited, but nowhere near the trees down and homes damaged that Savannah experienced just three years ago from Hurricane MATTHEW (2016).
Sadly, our coastal neighbors to the north were not as fortunate, as at least some flooding became the norm in coastal South Carolina. Unfortunately, DORIAN did finally make that threatened, passing by landfall over the Outer Banks of North Carolina, causing significant flooding in those communities, a fate that all of us along our share of the coast had feared.
The Bahamas, as you know, took a lingering, full-strength savage beating from DORIAN, leaving some islands of that nation facing near-total destruction, with mounting fatalities and still many inhabitants missing. Countries around the world have promised to send all manner of supplies and personnel, by air and sea, to help mitigate the suffering, and especially the immediate need for food and shelter. One such entity both promised and acted, immediately. And that was our tremendous, valiant U.S. Coast Guard members, who were on the scene, as soon as the storm had moved on, rescuing flood-trapped Bahamians, and airlifting out those needing medical attention. It’s been speculated that it may well take the better part of a generation before some of the Bahamas can be made whole again, although nothing done, nor time spent, can ever restore those lives lost.
We in Georgia’s Coastal Empire just dodged an enormous bullet this past week. Given the projected path of this massive storm, and its proximity to our coastal communities, the lack of property damage, flooding, and lives lost here in Savannah was certainly a miracle. More to the point, it was a true and grateful blessing bestowed upon us by God above.