Our luck runneth out

For weeks now my friends and I have been dodging meteorological bullets. A little over a month ago, I was afraid my vacation in Stone Harbor, New Jersey would be interrupted by not one, but two hurricanes (Bonnie and Charley). But I got lucky, and we had beautiful weather. (And it was a sickening feeling to watch television down at the shore and see the devastation and death that was being caused in Florida, and know that my biggest concern was whether or not I would have rough surf.) Two weeks ago, a friend of mine went to North Carolina facing the prospect of a confrontation with Frances, but that never amounted to much - for him, anyway. Last week a friend rescheduled her flight to New Orleans from last Wednesday to next Wednesday, since she and Ivan were scheduled to arrive in The Big Easy at the same time. (We laughed that she might not have a New Orleans left to go to, but it looks like she will.) Another friend is holed up with his parents in Florida, prepared to assist them with any problems with Ivan.

Each of these storms blew through my area with little more than a solid rainstorm - until now. Ivan is and has been dropping copious amounts of rain on Northeastern Pennsylvania, as it has everywhere along its path. The Susquehanna is expected to exceed flood level by a considerable amount. And for the first time in over a year, I am running pumps in my basement to get out the water that is seeping in.

Still, this is nothing, even compared to what other people a few blocks away are going through. We have been lucky, and maybe that luck hasn't run out. Right now all we can do is prepare for the worst and hope for the best.