The Big Bad Wolf! FFF (Final Friday Feature)

Oct 9th, 2024 at 1:30 Pm we sat watching the monster that was headed a direct hit on Bradenton. the sky was dark, winds gusting to 60 and 70 MPH were blowing and The Power Went Out.

We waited for it to come back. It took 7 days, We sat from 1:30 until 1:30 in the morning, just staring and praying. Waiting! At exactly 1:30 AM the radio said Milton is now making Landfall, we were slammed with wind and noise and frightened out of our minds. 

 I sat huddled with lighted lantern hanging from my elbow, 2 whistles, and my ID  card on a lanyard around my neck, cash in two pockets, purse hugged to my chest, weather radio balanced on my shaking knees, me in the hallway, Bob lying 20 feet from me, in my sight but on the bed, UNDER the tree that hangs over the bed, our dog Beau in the walk-in closet. 

It was 1:30 AM, the monster hurricane Milton raged over our home. As I listened to the monster stalking our home, it sounded as if The Big Bad Wolf was trying desperately to kick the window on the world out of its frame, each kick shook the walls, the floor vibrating, the windows rattling and the sheer curtains fluttered even with windows and blinds closed, they actually Moved.

Each time the windows shuddered and bowed out into the living room, I waited, praying out loud, God, please don't let the window blow out, please keep the tree off our house, please keep the roof over our heads and on the house! It seemed an eternity even though it was about 45 minutes.

And suddenly 

the wind changed, the kicking stopped, the pressure dropped, the raging roar of the wind, lowered and I knew we were in the Eye of the Hurricane. My radio was telling me, Bradenton, you are now in the eye of the storm, you are on the North edge, do not go outside, do not open doors and windows. I released my breath I had been holding with fear, my shoulders dropped down from beside my neck. I waited.

The radio broke the silence. Bradenton you are under EWW Warning! This means its about to get Rough where you are. Hunker Down! Stay away from windows! Seek the safe place in your home! EWW is Extreme Wind Warning, sustained surface winds of 115 MPH or greater. Consider this your final call to SHELTER IN PLACE!

 I started to tremble as the winds roared even louder than before, it was twice what it was before the eye, The Big Bad Wolf was at our door, he kicked his feet into the windows and doors, the sliding doors rattled and shook, if was as though he had a bull whip in his paws and was roaring around flicking this tree and that tree and karate kicking and flicking that whip and each flick was a POP ad the Kick was a roar.

The Wolf in the Eye, came at 2:30 and he kicked and stomped and roared and flicked that whip until 4 AM. Just before 4 AM the sounds of Milton started to drop, the winds were lower, the kicks were halfhearted. By 4:30 Milton was kicking his way across our county and leaving us alive, with windows and a roof.

I went to the front door and steeped out on the porch into My Worst Fear. The world was BLACK, there was no sign of light, I turned 360 degrees and could see nothing. No skyline, no earth meets the sky, total blackness, as though the Wolf had turned a black bowl down over the city. I am afraid of the dark, have been since birth.  I rushed back in the house and said, Bob come outside. the city is gone.  Milton had left our entire county without power. It was like the end of the world. I took the lantern out and could see the car survived, the porch post was gone and was too afraid to move off the porch and decided to wait until daylight.

our first view out our kitchen window at daybreak. 

The Big Bad Wolf was gone, leaving chaos behind, we were safe, the roof was on, the trees were down but not on the house, we did not DIE!  

The End 

PS INFO NOTE: I chose the whip because the damage that Milton did to the entire Tampa Bay Area, looked like someone chose this house to rip off the roof, those houses to do nothing to them, that house for 2 trees to fall on it. The winds were like a whip, powerful here but not there, there but not here. 3 homes destroyed; no homes harmed. No pattern, just wild roaring flick of the whip chose which was damaged and which was not. 

This is the Label for Milton, for anyone who missed the photos and stories.

Below is a link for any that wants to know how Milton became a Monster, a Karate kicking Wolf.

This LINK is to and NBC News article on How  Milton Became a Monster.

Definition: Extreme Wind Warning (EWW) is issued for sustained surface winds of 115 mph or greater from a MAJOR Hurricane (Category 3, 4, or 5) are expected within the next hour. This is usually associated with the eye wall of a major hurricane and is considered your final call to shelter in place.

If you want to join in the FFF you can still do it today or any day of your choosing.

for the Rulez click https://inimaynaelcammeno.blogspot.com/p/fff-rulez.html