# I could use a God right now! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 6, 2004, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-use-a-god-right-now/263335 "2004-09-06T14:57:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2004, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-use-a-god-right-now/263335/21 "2004-09-06T20:44:47Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > And it landed in Charleston, SC. I have this nagging \*suspicion \* that Red was living in the US at that time. Not that I know, I don’t know the guy. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2004, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-use-a-god-right-now/263335/22 "2004-09-06T21:25:18Z")
Hugo was a strange storm. It retained hurricane strength for a very long inland stretch. I was in Charlotte at the time, a long way from Charleston. It still had an eye when it passed over us. The eeriest thing I’ve ever seen was the pine needles sticking out of one side of our building from the brick the next morning — it looked like a giant porcupine. People had driven up to Charlotte from Charleston to escape the storm, only to awaken and find their cars blown over or, in one case, on a motel roof. The City of Trees was a wasteland of felled timber, and we were without power for two weeks. It was the damnedest thing. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2004, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-use-a-god-right-now/263335/23 "2004-09-06T21:32:59Z")
> [@Mighty\_Girl](#): > > As I mentioned before, I am not in the US. And I have my insurance policy right in front of me and in the list of things it covers it reads (among many other things): “Ciclón, Huracán, Tornado y Manga de Viento”. The first three are not neccessary to translate, the last one I don’t know what it is, not even in Spanish, but I am glad I am covered for \*that \* too. Manga de Viento = Whirlwind. Stay safe!! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Long\_Road](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5a626/32.png) [@The\_Long\_Road](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Long_Road)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2004, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-use-a-god-right-now/263335/24 "2004-09-06T22:33:33Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Either Memorial Day got a lot longer, or it’s Labor Day. 🙂 As soon as I posted that, I was “whoops!” :smack: ---
**Author:** ![The\_Long\_Road](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5a626/32.png) [@The\_Long\_Road](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Long_Road)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2004, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-use-a-god-right-now/263335/25 "2004-09-06T22:37:06Z")
> [@The Long Road](#): > > As soon as I posted that, I was “whoops!” > > :smack: was = thought Some days… ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2004, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-use-a-god-right-now/263335/26 "2004-09-06T23:00:46Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > For the record, Hugo was in '89. Guess I got caught-up in the “Fog of Hurricanes.” That and trusting my memory going back a quarter century. Having said that, getting 50% of the names right and being a year off, only confirms what I already knew: that I am an old fart with fading memories. The second storm I mentioned was actually named “Frederic,” and here’s some additional data on both: [1979 Atlantic Hurricane Season](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1979_Atlantic_hurricane_season) > [@](#): > > The 1979 Atlantic hurricane season was an ongoing event in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation. It officially started June 1, 1979, and lasted until November 30, 1979. > > Notable storms of 1979 include Hurricane David and Hurricane Frederic. > > Hurricane David was a Cape Verde-type hurricane that made landfall in the Dominican Republic near Santo Domingo at Category 5 strength. The storm travelled north and tracked up the Florida coastline until it finally made landfall at greatly reduced strength near Savannah Beach, Georgia. David killed roughly 2060, most in the Dominican Republic. Damages to the United States were minimal, but the Dominican Republic and Dominica suffered widespread damage. > > Hurricane Frederic became one of the costliest hurricanes on record when it made landfall near the border between Mississippi and Alabama. Frederic caused over $2.3 billion ($5.0 billion in 2000 dollars) in damage, and was the most expensive storm to hit the US until Hurricane Hugo in 1989. Frederic still holds a position as the seventh most expensive hurricane to hit the US, both with and without adjustments for inflation. Nine deaths were directly attributed to Hurricane Frederic. Additional observations: While ‘David’ was the more powerful of the two storms when it came through the DR (cat 5) and likely caused more structural damage, ‘Frederic,’ due to its slower movement and torrential rain, actually caused more casualties here. Of course, the fact that one came almost on top of the other was of no help either. Trivia: I’d never been through a hurricane before, thus I really had no idea of what to expect. I remember going down by the ocean and looking at the waves hours before, left there when the rain began. Once at home – thrid floor penthouse at the time – sat on the balcony, poured myself a drink and got set to “enjoy the cooling breeze.” Yeah, right…Einstein would have proud of my thought process! For not two hours had gone by when I found myself crouching in the back hallway of my apartment, clutching a Poodle I had at the time, no telling which one of us was more terrified. Holy Banana Land, Batman! Wind knocked-out all the front windows, about an inch of water all throughout the front of the house. Street were literally blocked with debris, everything from huge branches to trashcans and everything in between. Took the city over two weeks to dig itself out of that mess…and right about then Frederic hit. Although from my vantage point, Frederic itself wasn’t half as imposing – just driving sheets of seemingly endless rain. Moving right along. > [@grienspace](#): > > Its far better to batten down the hatches. Duly noted. You’d think a guy that had a skyboat for years would know some of this stuff – but obviously, you’d be wrong. But I do recall the engine being on the ‘aft’ part of the boat and yelling 'fore!" a bunch. Or was that the other way around? 😃 > [@Mighty Girl](#): > > Calm down dear. There will be no hurricane as I just paid my insurance. That’s how it works, it only rains if I am not carrying an umbrella. Glad to hear on both counts. But if you think I need to calm down now, you’ve obviously never seen me excited. Then again, no reason why you would [have] 😉 > [@](#): > > I have this nagging suspicion that Red was living in the US at that time. Not that I know, I don’t know the guy. Not that I know you either, but my own nagging suspicion tell me that you could stop Ivan all by your lonely. And yeah, Ms Cleo, I was Stateside at the time. 😃 Cuidate! ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2004, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-use-a-god-right-now/263335/27 "2004-09-06T23:41:07Z")
Now that we are travelling on Remembrance Road… I was eight when David hit us (let go on the calculator dammit!). It was summer vacation and I was at my aunt’s house in San Carlos, an old two-floor house with a red clay-shingle roof on the top floor. I loved that house… anyways, the house was next door to a large property full of fruit trees and across a toy store. David’s winds torn down the surrounding wall of the neighbor’s property and blew out all the windows in the toy store. After the hurricane (which left my aunt’s house without roof on the top floor and the lower floor flooded) there were toys and fruits strewn all over our front yard. I didn’t mind sleeping in a house with 3 inches of water all over the floor and with a view to the stars on the top floor, in my mind it was Xmas, I had collected a lot of toys. 🙂 Next day my aunt made me return all the toys to the store owner when she came back to check the damage. The owner let me keep a few. If only my current neighbors had a money tree… ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2004, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-use-a-god-right-now/263335/28 "2004-09-06T23:50:24Z")
I remember David in 1979. By the time it hit Savannah, it had dropped to a Cat 1 storm. While I don’t recall if there any deaths here, there was extensive damage to old growth trees. The local power company quickly realized they were horribly underprepared. Some people were without power for weeks. ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2004, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-use-a-god-right-now/263335/29 "2004-09-07T00:50:24Z")
> [@Mighty\_Girl](#): > > According to all predictions Ivan The Terrible will enter by Jimaní, precisely the area where nearly a thousand Dominicans where drowned in a flood not long ago. Cruel, huh? Jebus. Somehow I’d missed this part of your post on my last reply. ‘Cruel’ doesn’t even begin to describe it – more like downright evil. Hope they’ve started working on getting those people to safe grounds. Re: David. I think the two things that have stuck the most in my memory after all these years are the the amazing sounds – wind howling all around you, trees cracking, windows breaking, etc. --, and the incredibly eerie feeling one gets in the middle of the eye of the storm. Hard to describe the latter, but about the only thing that I’ve encountered that’s similar is the utter silence one hears at professional golf tournaments when a player is about to strike the ball, how you can clearly hear the crack of the club face meeting the ball amidst hundreds of people…and how that magic is broken inmediately after. Then again, I’d much rather be at a golf-tournament. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2004, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-use-a-god-right-now/263335/30 "2004-09-07T02:16:43Z")
**Mighty** , the problem is there apparently is a god… … but it’s Jurakán. And we seem to be behind on our sacrifices this year. Be safe, guys! (And try to get them to fax or otherwise get to you some sort of hard copy that you’re in order) ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2004, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-use-a-god-right-now/263335/31 "2004-09-07T04:45:17Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > **Mighty** , the problem is there apparently is a god… > > … but it’s Jurakán. And we seem to be behind on our sacrifices this year. Yeah, we can’t find enough virgins 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2004, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-use-a-god-right-now/263335/32 "2004-09-07T04:51:09Z")
> [@grienspace](#): > > Please, I wouldn’t trust buttons. Even way up here where we at best get 60mph winds I’ve seen canvas tops on boats secured by buttons getting ripped off by the wind. > > Its far better to [_batten_](http://docmeyer.freeservers.com/trivia.htm) down the hatches. 🙂 They were Bob Newhart hatches! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2004, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-use-a-god-right-now/263335/33 "2004-09-07T04:52:31Z")
> [@Mighty\_Girl](#): > > Calm down dear. There will be no hurricane as I just paid my insurance. That’s how it works, it only rains if I am not carrying an umbrella. [See what I tell you?](http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ftp/graphics/AT09/refresh/AL0904W5+GIF/060908W5.gif) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2004, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-use-a-god-right-now/263335/34 "2004-09-07T05:55:55Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > They were Bob Newhart hatches! 😉 And a Jedi _sky_boat no doubt! :smack: I had one of the _other ones_, ya know, the ones you can actually _water-ski_ behind. Aft? * * * Great news, **MG**! Please let your insurance lapse right up until the next emergency! ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-use-a-god-right-now/263335/35 "2004-09-10T00:17:28Z")
I just noticed Ivan is grazing the Dominican Republic today or tomorrow. Good luck **Mighty Girl**! (IIRC, that’s where you live.) Let us know how it turns out. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-use-a-god-right-now/263335/36 "2004-09-10T01:48:18Z")
Although we were spared of Ivan’s wrath we already have some damage and casualties. 5 kids (siblings) were dragged into the ocean by a giant wave when they were picking up the fish thrown out by the storm. All this while Ivan is nearly 500 KM away from us. Reports from Grenada are bleak, 90% of the island has been flattened, most tourists from Jamaica had been evacuated to our country and Cuba and Florida are in its path. This is a BAD storm. [Check this](http://www.nnvl.noaa.gov/hurseas2004/ivan1745z-040909-1kg12.jpg). Sorry Florida. 3 hurricanes in 3 days, I think you should start finding some virgins for a sacrifice to Huricán ASAP. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-use-a-god-right-now/263335/37 "2004-09-10T01:48:26Z")
Although we were spared of Ivan’s wrath we already have some damage and casualties. 5 kids (siblings) were dragged into the ocean by a giant wave when they were picking up the fish thrown out by the storm. All this while Ivan is nearly 500 KM away from us. Reports from Grenada are bleak, 90% of the island has been flattened, most tourists from Jamaica had been evacuated to our country and Cuba and Florida are in its path. This is a BAD storm. [Check this](http://www.nnvl.noaa.gov/hurseas2004/ivan1745z-040909-1kg12.jpg). Sorry Florida. 3 hurricanes in 30 days, I think you should start finding some virgins for a sacrifice to Huricán ASAP. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-use-a-god-right-now/263335/38 "2004-09-10T03:48:26Z")
I have friends in Florida who have had their homes practically destroyed by the one-two punch of Charley and Frances. Ivan would be just too much if it hit. It is like God was not satisfied with “whip” and decided to hit “purée”. ---
**Author:** ![pantom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/34f0e0/32.png) [@pantom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pantom)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-use-a-god-right-now/263335/39 "2004-09-10T04:23:26Z")
Just for a little comic relief, Frederic hit up here in Jersey with torrential rains. That year was the first year out of college for me, and I remember that the forecast was for a few showers. Ha! I never saw so much rain in my life up until that time, not until Floyd in '99. About a half hour away from work my car died when I had to - I had no other choice - drive it through a huge puddle. Fortunately, this guy who worked at a gas station that was right there came out and sprayed something on the carburetor - I have no idea what - and the car started and I was able to get to work. On the way I remember seeing a massive tree split in two. Talk about impressive. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-use-a-god-right-now/263335/40 "2004-09-10T12:34:55Z")
We had what seemed like a never-ending rain last night. It was a big thunderstorm… and rain, lots of rain. But that was only like the touch of a feather of that big bird because Ivan was way past us. Ivan is trully terrible. My very best wishes to those in its path. Be safe Floridian Dopers. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-use-a-god-right-now/263335.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-could-use-a-god-right-now/263335.md?page=3)