Hurricane!

As Hurricane Irene threatened New England this week, I thought about the hurricanes we experienced in Danvers during my childhood: Carol and Edna in 1954 and Connie and Diane in 1955. Downed trees created green jungles to play in. That was my perspective as a youngster.

During Reunion last month I heard a hurricane memory from Chuck Roy, who grew up on the Burley Farm in Danvers. During Hurricane Carol he watched a farm worker there attempt to put a truck into a barn:

"From the safety of my home I watched as the storm raged on. At one point I saw Nate heading to the “A” barn to put a truck inside. He rolled open the two large barn doors that would allow him to drive into the barn. As he turned and walked back to his truck a gust of wind blew into the barn and lifted the entire A-shaped roof right off the barn, dropping it just a few feet to the side! I can just imagine what was going through his mind when he turned around and saw what was left of the barn. I was thinking I would have lots of wood to make a new fort."

Forts, jungles...  Hurricanes can create new playgrounds for kids. See what I wrote in 2007 in my column: Hurricanes in my childhood [now copied into this blog, as the newspaper archive isn't accessible.]

For another perspective, read Mr. Richard Trask's article: Of microbursts and hurricanes in Danvers. (November 2009).

Today as an adult I'm relieved that Hurricane Irene weakened to a 'tropical storm' before reaching us.