Monday morning, Tropical Storm Bertha turned into Hurricane Bertha. If that name sounds familiar to you, it's because back in 1996 Hurricane Bertha made landfall in North Carolina. Ironically it was also about the same time of year.
Although the 1996 Hurricane Bertha was not particulary memorable to most folks, I remember it quite well. I'm not from North Carolina and up until about two years ago, I never lived here. But I did vacation along the outer banks almost every summer growing up.
I was at the Outer Banks when Hurricane Bertha hit. I was 13 at the time, so I remember it, but my memories are kinda vague. The hardest thing for me to remember is the time frame, of when I learned there was a hurricane coming and when it actually hit. So I'm trying to write this, the best I can.
I remember the week started out pretty good, with some good days at the beach. Then I remember it began getting really dark and cloudy outside. I didn't think much about it until I saw my parents watching the weather forecast more intently than normal.
That's when my parents said there was a hurricane coming in a day or two. I wasn't scared and I don't think they were either. Mainly just concerned. I on the other hand was excited! I was too young to realize how dangerous hurricanes were, especially not growing up around them. When they told me we might leave early, I wanted to ride out the storm!
I do know we went out to eat at one point and on the way back to our beach house, we saw some other houses in the water. The stilts were in the water. I also remember red "no swimming" flags up on the beaches.
It was around that time that my parents decided to pack up and head back home. I remember them saying that the area was going to be evacuated in about a day. I have no idea how they knew that. But I remember my parents making the decision to leave before the evacuation orders.
If I remember correctly we left the night before the area was evacuated to the mainland. The most vivid thing that stands out is my dad filled up the mini van with gas a day before the chaos. There were no lines. Then the day after leaving, we saw the tv footage, of line after line at the gas station and a long line of cars trying to leave. My parents were smart, they stayed one step ahead of the storm.
We were probably never in any real danger. Not since we left the night before the evacuations. But a total of 8 people ended up dying as result of Hurricane Bertha. So let's hope history doesn't repeat itself with this current storm.
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I,m just wondering all they are doing is raising our taxes they say its for the teachers and schools what happen to the n.c. lottery its supose to go to schools but you never hear that I would like to see the govenor come down to our level get our pay checks the ones who is lucky enough to have a job have our bills to pay I bet she would be talking a different story N.C. is the tax capital of the world say they need to raise the taxes to pay for teachers road repair why don,t you ever hear about the other states having this problem I use to drive a road tractor and have traveled these roads and n.c. has the worse in the nation if they would quit lining there pockets with our hard earn money then they to could fix the roads also use the lottery for what it was set up for then they could lower our taxes instead taxing us in North Carolina to death and I bet I,m not the only one who feels this way I voted for perdue I though she was honest and would be for the working man boy was I worng she lied just like the rest promise you every thing till she gets in office then sents you to the poor house .
well I said what was on my mind I doubt if you have the guts to tell this on your news but at lease I got it off my chest.
Joe in Hickory
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