If you were watching this September Friday, TV reporters waded in waters churned by Hurricane Florence. In the 1980s we sailed some of those waters.
Flo—as former student John Taylor’s email abbreviated—threatened him and his four cats with flooding from Cape Fear River.
Nikki and Lockwod Phillips in Morehead City reported winds blew off a large tree limb that broke house windows and damaged their roof. Also former students, now publishers of two weekly newspapers, they repaired with a tarp, cardboard, and duct tape.
“Misery, thy name is Florence,” Nikki texted.
The Phillips were partners in our 30 ft. sailboat, the Anne Bonny. Nikki named her after the 1800‘s female pirate. Many times we raced our sloop on the Neuse River—the same river that flooded and sent some New Bern residents climbing to their rooftops before they were rescued. Some were rescued by the Cajun Navy, volunteers who brought their motorboats from Louisiana.
Not only did we sail Anne Bonny in these troubled waters, you will find two maps of these waters in my first ( 2016 ) novel Anne Bonny’s Wake. www.DickElamBooks.com Thom Loafman created the two maps that take you from Pamlico Sound to Wrightsville Beach.
Drafted after Anne Bonny’s Wake are manuscripts for books two, three, and four of my Maggie and Hersh series. In book three—historical fiction, 1983—my heroes wait out an invented Hurricane Christine that hits the Neuse River. Unpublished, so future edits may include details borrowed from Hurricane Florence.
Or “Flo”, John’s name for the flood rising outside his barn near Wrightsville.
Flo is no Bro.
Image by Wikilmages from Pixabay
Well done, as always, Dr. E. We got off light this time. Hell of a mess to clean up in 90 degree heat and no AC. looking forward to fall and Winter. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers.
$40000 damage to our seasonal home on the Neuse in Oriental. Roof, ceiling fell in, partial flooding and Michael on the way