Recently I had the privilege (and it was a privilege, for me at least) of broadcasting in the middle of Hurricane Irene.
I found out I was heading to eastern North Carolina on a Thursday afternoon and we were off Friday morning.
It was a homecoming of sorts, as my television meteorology career began in eastern North Carolina, so my duties included not only broadcasting the current conditions to WSLS, but also doing live shots for my former TV station WNCT, as well as all other Media General TV stations.
This was an experience I will never forget. Granted, I was in the middle of Isabel back in 2003, but was able to go home at night. I was not staying in the storm (and a hotel) for an extended period of time.
We arrived in Atlantic Beach late in the afternoon, and by midnight, the power was gone. The only light we could see was from the cameras and other illumination provided by the television equipment.
By the time we left the hotel, it smelled like a wet dog, with shattered glass everywhere, one of the consequences of being right in the center of the Category 1 hurricane.
We lived on bottled water, potato chips, salsa, and cookies. No hot food was available because there was no electricity. But there was a togetherness, a bond among all of us covering the storm. Meteorologists helping reporters, reporters helping photographers, it was great to see. We all realized that being in the middle of Irene was exactly where we wanted to be. And while the wrath of Irene will not be forgotten anytime soon, thankfully, it was not as bad as it could have been.
Haniewich is chief meterologist for WSLS Channel 10. His column is published every Wednesday.
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