Hurricane Lane: The hurricane that never was. I didn’t quite know what to expect when I heard the forecasters predict Lane’s path of destruction. I went shopping as usual to get regular items at the store. But when I saw this, I started to panic.
I mean, do I buy that block of Velveeta and the ketchup because they are the only ones left? Certainly everyone here must know something I don’t. Coming from earthquake territory, it’s hard to wait for something imminent. With so many days of warnings and preparations, I felt this sense of heightened alert. Bracing for something catastrophic. A few neighbors boarded up their windows. Schools were cancelled for Thursday and Friday. People flocked to Costco for water and to fill up their gas tanks. My phone alert went off “Hurricane Warning”; then hours later another alert: “Hurricane Watch”. Then the outdoor warning sirens went off and I was sick with anticipation. We waited. And waited. And waited. Until, Hurricane Lane was downgraded to a tropical storm. Then it was just tropical rain. Thankfully it didn’t amount to much on the island of Oahu. Now off to the store to return that Velveeta block and ketchup!
