Hurricane Irene

As many of you know, hurricane Irene ripped through the entire eastern coast starting Friday stretching through early Sunday morning. In Stafford we weren't effected by the hurricane as much as expected. We had an intense amount of rain with forceful winds, but by staying inside for the entire weekend, we didn't notice too much of anything happening. We stocked up on water, canned foods, candles, and batteries...but strangely enough didn't need them. Our power never went out! The only time I noticed the weather getting more intense was around 12:00am Sunday morning when I awoke to the wind pounding against the window only inches from our heads. At one point it was so strong that I jumped out of bed and sprinted across the room. As always, Kevin slept like a log and said: "you got up out of bed last night? I didn't even hear anything." Figures. If an intruder comes into the house Kevin's not going to hear it - I'm getting the bat.

Sunday morning when the storm had officially passed, the first thing I did (even before my precious home-brewed Starbucks coffee) I peered out the window anticipating to see fallen trees, a flooded parking lot, furniture from balconies rearranged on the ground below...but instead I saw something completely unexpected: nothing was wrong. The parking lot was practically bone-dry, the cars were perfectly intact, and the only thing that hinted there was something amiss were the white flower petals from the blooming trees strewn about the parking lot, making it look as though it had snowed.

I have to say, we Staffordians (?) had it easy. We were expecting a ferocious experience that would leave devastation to at least something, but we emerged unscathed. I can't say the same for the friends of mine in the Carolina's and even in New England. Poor Vermont is experiencing devastating flooding that couldn't have come at a worse time. Right before we moved to Virginia in May, Vermont went through mass flooding that crippled roads, ruined homes, and destroyed so much that I fear Vermont is going to experience additional flooding that they may not be able to come back from quickly. As for us in the south: we just had an earthquake...can mother nature take it a little easier on all of us?

The following professional news photos were taken in the coastal cities of South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia.