Viewing post #1063252 by drdawg

We moved into our new home in Pascagoula in August, 1979. We were less than a block from the beach. Approximately three weeks after moving in, Hurricane Frederic struck. She came ashore with 135 mph winds, a Cat. 4 hurricane. There was a voluntary evacuation but my wife and I stayed home, not the first time we hunkered down at home, nor the last. We were without running water and electricity for over two weeks. At that time we had the only swimming pool in the neighborhood and our pool water became the most important body of water around. People came from all over with 5 gal. buckets so that they could fill their toilets. That pool also became the "bathing tub". No one used soap and no one skinny-dipped, but it was about the only way to not only sort of wash but also to get cool. As has been pointed out, hurricanes typically hit when the weather is hot and muggy, and since Frederick dropped 8-12" of rain during an 8 hour period, it was even more muggy after she passed. We lived in those hot/muggy conditions for ten days and could take no more of it. We hopped in the car, drove 50 miles north, and checked into a motel. That was probably the "nicest" motel I have ever stayed in. It had AC and a shower. We got clean and then slept for 10 hrs., the first comfortable sleep we had had in ten days.

Then Hurricane Elana struck Pascagoula in 1985, a strong Cat. 3 storm.