Storm Watch

According to CNN, Hurricane Bill is about 425 miles south of Bermuda with tropical storm conditions expected for the weekend. It’s hard to tell just by looking outside—after all, it’s another beautiful day here in Bermuda—but there are indeed signs that a big storm is on the way. Just this morning I stopped at Church Bay to peek at the ocean on the island’s south shore. Long lines of waves were crashing in, chest-high rollers my surfer buddies back home would’ve loved to paddle out in (see above). It’s crazy. On any given day that bay is totally flat. We’ve had ominous thunderstorms too—deep clangs from dark clouds that seem to shake the Earth. There are less natural indicators too, like the front-page headlines from the Royal Gazette, our local newspaper. Yesterday’s was “Island Prepares for Hurricane Bill,” with repeated recommendations from the Bermuda Weather Service to buy water, canned goods, flashlights, and more. The radio’s been abuzz too, with hourly updates on the storm’s progress and public service announcements regarding ways to stay safe. And I already told you about the scene at the hardware store—lots of panicked shopping. So consider myself warned. I’ll be spending my Friday morning taking in patio furniture, taping up the windows, and making sure we’ve got the essentials: Water, flashlights…rum. I think it’s time for a dark n' stormy.