Hurricane Irene: Our Neighborhood’s Damage and Recovery

Hurricane Irene moved up the East Coast on Saturday afternoon and evening, bringing heavy rain and powerful winds. Our neighborhood took a hard hit: strong gusts toppled large trees onto power lines, blocked roads, and damaged several homes. While we were fortunate to avoid major structural harm, many neighbors suffered significant losses.

Our house was spared from direct impact, but a nearby home was not as lucky: a large tree fell onto our neighbor’s roof. It was heartbreaking to see — that same tree could easily have fallen the other way and struck our house. Fortunately, everyone inside, along with their two dogs, escaped without physical injury. Their home, however, suffered flooding and broken windows in some areas. We feel for them and for all the families whose lives and homes were affected.

During the worst of the storm, from about 6 p.m. until midnight, we stayed inside and kept close watch as trees came down on our block. We chose to sleep in interior rooms for added protection in case anything fell on the house. Because our basement is below grade and could have flooded, we avoided lower-level spaces and instead insulated ourselves with rooms surrounded on all sides. Clara slept in a pack-and-play in a hallway that was sheltered by surrounding rooms.

John and I moved a lighter mattress from the guest room into the kitchen, which sits near the center of the house, so we could rest while remaining as protected as possible.

By morning, our basement had not flooded. We still have branches and debris scattered across the yard, plus a few larger limbs in the back that will need to be cleared. Considering the severity of the storm, we feel very fortunate.

We remain without power along with what we’ve heard is roughly 800,000 other Richmond residents; our electricity went out around 5 p.m. on Saturday, and we were on our third day without it when we wrote this. Utility crews are working, but with so many trees down on power lines in our area, restoration could take several days or even longer in some neighborhoods. Because of that, our posting schedule may be irregular for a while, and we might be slower responding to comments, Facebook, and Twitter. We do plan to continue with the afternoon giveaway as scheduled and will check in when we can. Our thoughts are with everyone coping with storm aftermath.

We also checked on our first house and were relieved to find it had survived the storm. Still, there were other homes nearby with heavy damage, including a large tree that fell across the street. It’s a stark reminder of how quickly a storm can change a neighborhood.

Between this and the earthquake earlier in the week, we’re ready for a break from natural disasters. While Richmond doesn’t frequently face events like this, memories of past storms — like Isabel in 2003, when many people were without power for about a week — make recovery feel urgent. We’re hoping for a faster turnaround this time. Luckily, a few relatives nearby have power, food, and water to share. On Sunday morning after the storm passed, we went to Grammy’s house to recharge and rest. Being somewhere with power felt like a small miracle.

Clara enjoyed some calm time with her cousin John — they watched a video together and relaxed, which lifted our spirits amid the clean-up and uncertainty.

Thank you to everyone on Twitter, Facebook, and here in the comments who checked in and offered support. Your concern meant a great deal to us. If you were affected by the storm, please let us know how you are doing — we want to hear from you and help where we can.