Hurricane Irene...Yikes!!!

Living on the coast has its advantages..... I am just a few minutes away from the beach and it is absolutely beautiful!  However, we do have disadvantages.... hurricanes!  Hurricane Irene is coming up our coast here in North Carolina.  I have been through several hurricanes and they are scary, especially when you see huge trees bent  completely over and things like trash cans flying through the air.  I am so lucky that I only have had one tree to blow down in my yard and it didn't hit my house.  (knock on wood)   The worst part is the flooding....It is very similar to the pictures you probably saw with the hurricane that hit New Orleans.... I've only seen one similar to this one but it was only a level 3 but dumped a lot of rain on us!  The water rose up to my front door but didn't come in.  It is weird seeing people boating down your street instead of driving cars.  However, I did see the water line on some houses up to the roof.   
Another bad thing that happens is you lose electricity... cable.... everything that you have come to rely on.  The power doesn't come back on until trees are cut off power lines and then put back up.... This can take several days.
Our school system is closing early tomorrow!  Some of our schools are used for evacuation sites...   They are still predicting how close the storm will come here but hurricane Irene is so huge we will see effects of it.... we just don't know how bad.....I hate unpredictability! 
Well friends I don't know when I'll be back.... It is suppose to come through Friday night through Saturday.  Please say a little prayer for us that it stays on a Northern..... northeastern track!   Hope to be back soon!