Today is returning to normal after passage of Hurricane Ike.
Ike happened in the Gulf of Mexico, coming ashore at Galveston, Texas. Once over land, Ike turned northward and then northeastward through Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, coming directly overhead here in Missouri on Sunday morning.
Wind blew hard, probably 40 to 60 miles per hour, and there may have been embedded tornadoes. We got two inches of rain. Places farther north and west got stronger wind and six or more inches of rain, causing flooding. We were right on the edge of the action.
Our adjacent counties to the east and south missed the extreme weather. Madison county where we live and adjacent counties to the north and west were in the storm path.
We did not have major problems with our county road, just a lot of small tree limbs on the road. Ten miles to the north, U.S. Highway 67 was completely closed due to many large trees blown down across the road, apparently by a tornado. Our local electric cooperative said that 75 power poles were snapped off.
Hurricane Ike left here around noon on Sunday, heading for St. Louis, Missouri, Quincy, Illinois, and points northeast. By now, Ike probably is out in the Atlantic Ocean again somewhere around Labrador.
Electricity went off at our house at 8 a.m. Sunday and stayed off until 8:30 a.m. Tuesday. I was really impressed by how dependent our lifestyle is upon electricity. Items that did not work included the cordless telephone, microwave, gas stove flame igniter, computer, fans, water pump, CD player, television, refrigerator, freezer, and all the house lights.
The house was absolutely dark and quiet at night. Frozen food was thawing slowly. Couldn't read. Couldn't listen to the ac-powered radio or watch television. Fortunately we did not get a flood, as the basement sump pump would not operate. I spent all day Monday sitting in a chair doing nothing. Didn't even take a walk because of yucky weather.
We came through okay. No damage to the house or car. One large red oak tree blown down on the edge of our walnut orchard, but the tree landed parallel with the orchard edge and didn't damage anything. Eventually the tree may become firewood. The newly acquired pile of winter firewood blocks from the local sawmill did not float away in a flood. All the roof shingles seem to be in place. The frozen food still contained ice and did not spoil.
So now we have a small taste of what a hurricane does. A tiny effect compared with Galveston, Texas, and vicinity, but we get the idea. Just a matter of relative intensity.
The electric cooperative people drove by last night about 8 p.m. looking for trees fallen onto and shorting the power lines. The truck driver said everyone was working double shifts, 5 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. That's dedication. We bless and thank the workers.
Today we are starting on projects delayed by the storm. Washing dishes. Doing laundry. Checking and answering e-mail. Checking lottery ticket numbers. Walking.
Normalcy is returning.
Bill & Judy Jud
Fredericktown, Missouri
