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Olivia Howry Hurricane CharleyI went with my sister, my father and mother We got on a plane goin’ to Orlando The weather said there might be a tornado As we got closer, dark clouds gathered ‘round We were the last airplane to safely touch down August 13, 2004 Hurricane Charley hit the shore Off the Florida Gulf heading east A little rental car we leased We headed south into the rain But we must have been insane! Hungry and scared we stopped for a rest But everyone else had already left We had the buffet all to ourselves Chinese food covered counters, tables and shelves When we were full and couldn’t eat more We ran back to the car while the wind roared We got to our cousin’s and made it inside But Hurricane Charley forced us to hide We greeted our cousins as the power went out The wind and the rain blew everything about We kids in the closet with popcorn and games We couldn’t hear rain pounding on the window panes The adults lit candles and hid in the loo While Hurricane Charley came pounding through Everything in sight Blew to the right Then it was silent And eerily quiet We crept from our hiding places To see the sun shine on our faces It wasn’t long till Charley was back The trees bent left as the sky went black Groaning and cracking a tree hit the ground Street signs, tree limbs and shingles flew round We stood at the window, exhilarated, in awe We forgot to be frightened by the destruction we saw Then Charley was gone as fast as he came Outside in the yard, nothing seemed the same. A tree hit the house and one fell in the pool Swimming through branches sure was cool The house was a mess without water or power We used the roof runoff to take a shower. The clean up started the very next day It was a lot of hard work hauling dead trees away With Disney World closed and nothing to do We headed east before another storm could brew. Hurricane Charley left a devastating wake Now we go to Florida during February break If you plan to visit Florida during hurricane season You’d better have a very good reason!! The sensation of being in a hurricane’s eye Is a memory I’ll have with me till I die. |
[TABLE OF CONTENTS, LHS CLASS OF 2010 EDITION]
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