We arrived home from Canada just in time for Tropical Storm Nicole. The flight home was riddled with turbulence, giving us a preview of what was to come. That evening the skies turned a dark grey and the clouds rolled in. The following morning we splashed our way to work and by mid day the Canadian Consulate had sent out their warning to hunker down and keep the flashlights close. A tropical storm can carry heavy and torrential downpour with winds up to 35 miles per hour, a bit shy of a category 1 hurricane. It was interesting to feel the atmosphere around town when the schools were closed at noon and the sky continued to darken. The rains came soon after and were sporadic but heavy. In mere seconds the sky would open up and drop what seemed like an ocean's worth of water down, flooding streets and sending the chickens scattering, and then a few minutes later it would be over. It was a race to get to wherever you were going in between the storms, because if you got caught in the torrential rain, driving became a challenge. With the wipers going full speed and the air conditioning blasting to try to keep the fog off the windows, it felt much like navigating in the dark with a blindfold. It was difficult to even see the car ahead. With our battered old jalopy, the driving became even more hazardous since after the "car explosion" misunderstanding we were warned that driving in the rain would just create further problems to our CV joints. By the evening both Blake and I had managed to get home safely and we watched as the wind bent the palm trees and our pool overflowed. A massive puddle began to form in our drive and random leaves littered the lawn. After a loud night of wind, rain and thunder that shook the room, we awoke to a grey and wet morning. We knew it was truly time to battle the elements. Although many government workers had some time off, neither Blake nor I had the luxury. We had to get up, get out and brave the scariest side effect of Tropical Storm Nicole; Lake Elgin. Blake's office is located on a street with very little drainage. As a result, a massive lake forms in their road and drive. This lake is often on the cover of the news and has become a landmark during storm season. We encouraged the car and petted the dashboard on the way in. Does anyone else ever do this? I feel like the poor car has a personality- a 94 year old hypochondriac's personality- but a personality all the same. When we turned down Elgin Avenue we saw the brown lake ahead. Cars were pushing water to the side as they navigated through with speeds nearing 5 kilometres per hour. The water came above the wheel wells, pushing over the hoods of many cars. Even though I know that there is a concrete bottom, I nevertheless feel like I am driving in to a bottomless pit and may get lost in all of the water. Thankfully the Green Goblin (as I have not so affectionately named our ride) only squealed in protest, but made it through! Definitely a highlight in our day. As the storm wore on, many basements and business received some flooding. It was eye opening to see what a punch a tropical storm can pack, especially on the ocean. The waves were massive, and huge oil barrels would disappear underneath the swell. Some parts of the beach were even eroded. The storm took a few days to pass, and even now, a week later, we are still under rainy skies, although Nicole has since dissipated. This experience has left us wondering about hurricanes. I can't imagine that what we saw was just skimming the surface! With hurricane season nearly at its end, we are keeping our fingers crossed that Tropical Storm Nicole was as close as we'll have to get!!!
