Face to Face with Hurricane Camill1正文.docx

Face to Face with Hurricane Camill1正文.docx

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FacetoFacewithHurricaneCamill1正文

FacetoFacewithHurricaneCamille 

JosephP.Blank

　　1JohnKoshak,Jr.,knewthatHurricaneCamillewouldbebad.RadioandtelevisionwarningshadsoundedthroughoutthatSunday,lastAugust17,asCamillelashednorthwestwardacrosstheGulfofMexico.ItwascertaintopummelGulfport,Miss.,wheretheKosherslived.AlongthecoastsofLouisiana,MississippiandAlabama,nearly150,000peoplefledinlandtosafer8round.But,likethousandsofothersinthecoastalcommunities,johnwasreluctanttoabandonhishomeunlessthefamily--hiswife,Janis,andtheirsevenchildren,abed3to11--wasclearlyendangered.

　　2Tryingtoreasonoutthebestcourseofaction,hetalkedwithhisfatherandmother,whohadmovedintotheten-roomhousewiththeKoshaksamonthearlierfromCalifornia.HealsoconsultedCharlesHill,alongtimefriend,whohaddrivenfromLasVegasforavisit.

　　3John,37--whosebusinesswasrightthereinhishome（hedesignedanddevelopededucationaltoysandsupplies,andallofMagnaProducts'correspondence,engineeringdrawingsandartworkwerethereonthefirstfloor）--wasfamiliarwiththepowerofahurricane.Fouryearsearlier,HurricaneBetsyhaddemolishedundefinedhisformerhomeafewmileswestofGulfport（Koshakhadmovedhisfamilytoamotelforthenight）.Butthathousehadstoodonlyafewfeetabovesealevel."We'reelevated2afeet,"hetoldhisfather,"andwe'reagood250yardsfromthesea.Theplacehasbeenheresince1915,andnohurricanehaseverbotheredit.We'IIprobablybeassafehereasanyplaceelse."

　　4TheelderKoshak,agruff,warmheartedexpertmachinistof67,agreed."Wecanbattendownandrideitout,"hesaid."Ifweseesignsofdanger,wecangetoutbeforedark."

　　5Themenmethodicallypreparedforthehurricane.Sincewatermainsmightbedamaged,theyfilledbathtubsandpails.Apowerfailurewaslikely,sotheycheckedoutbatteriesfortheportableradioandflashlights,andfuelforthelantern.John'sfathermovedasmallgeneratorintothedownstairshallway,wiredseverallightbulbstoitandpreparedaconnectiontotherefrigerator.

　　6Rainfellsteadilythatafternoon;graycloudsscuddedinfromtheGulfontherisingwind.Thefamilyhadanearlysupper.Aneighbor,whosehusbandwasinVietnam,askedifsheandhertwochildrencouldsitoutthestormwiththeKoshaks.Anotherneighborcamebyonhiswayin-land—wouldtheKoshaksmindtakingcareofhisdog?

　　7Itgrewdarkbeforeseveno'clock.Windandrainnowwhippedthehouse.Johnsenthisoldestsonanddaughterupstairstobringdownmattressesandpillowsfortheyoungerchildren.Hewantedtokeepthegrouptogetherononefloor."Stayawayfromthewindows,"hewarned,concernedaboutglassflyingfromstorm-shatteredpanes.Asthewindmountedtoaroar,thehousebeganleaking-therainseeminglydrivenrightthroughthewalls.Withmops,towels,potsandbucketstheKoshaksbeganastruggleagainsttherapidlyspreadingwater.At8:

30,powerfailed,andPopKoshakturnedonthegenerator.

　　8Theroarofthehurricanenowwasoverwhelming.Thehouseshook,andtheceilinginthelivingroomwasfallingpiecebypiece.TheFrenchdoorsinanupstairsroomblewinwithanexplosivesound,andthegroupheardgun-likereportsasotherupstairswindowsdisintegrated.Waterroseabovetheirankles. 

　　9Thenthefrontdoorstartedtobreakawayfromitsframe.JohnandCharlieputtheirshouldersagainstit,butablastofwaterhitthehouse,flingingopenthedoorandshovingthemdownthehall.Thegeneratorwasdoused,andthelightswentout.CharlielickedhislipsandshoutedtoJohn."Ithinkwe'reinrealtrouble.Thatwatertastedsalty."Theseahadreachedthehouse,andthewaterwasrisingbytheminute!

　　10"Everybodyoutthebackdoortotheoars!

"Johnyelled."We'IIpassthechildrenalongbetweenus.Countthem!

Nine!

"

　　11Thechildrenwentfromadulttoadultlikebucketsinafirebrigade.Butthecarswouldn'tstart;theelectricalsystemshadbeenkilledbywater.ThewindwastooStrongandthewatertoodeeptofleeonfoot."Backtothehouse!

"johnyelled."Countthechildren!

Countnine!

"

　　12Astheyscrambledback,johnordered,"Every-bodyonthestairs!

"Frightened,breathlessandwet,thegroupsettledonthestairs,whichwereprotectedbytwointeriorwalls.Thechildrenputtheoat,Spooky,andaboxwithherfourkittensonthelanding.Shepeerednervouslyatherlitter.Theneighbor'sdogcurledupandwenttosleep.

　　13Thewindsoundedliketheroarofatrainpassingafewyardsaway.Thehouseshudderedandshiftedonitsfoundations.Waterincheditswayupthestepsasfirst-flooroutsidewallscollapsed.Noonespoke.Everyoneknewtherewasnoescape;theywouldliveordieinthehouse.

　　14CharlieHillhadmoreorlesstakenresponsibilityfortheneighborandhertwochildren.Themotherwasonthevergeofpanic.Sheclutchedhisarmandkeptrepeating,"Ican'tswim,Ican'tswim."

　　15"Youwon'thaveto,"hetoldher,withoutwardcalm."It'sboundtoendsoon."

　　16GrandmotherKoshakreachedanarmaroundherhusband'sshoulderandputhermouthclosetohisear."Pop,"shesaid,"Iloveyou."Heturnedhisheadandanswered,"Iloveyou"--andhisvoicelackeditsusualgruffness.

　　17Johnwatchedthewaterlapatthesteps,andfeltacrushingguilt.HehadunderestimatedtheferocityofCamille.Hehadassumedthatwhathadneverhappenedcouldnothappen.Heheldhisheadbetweenhishands,andsilentlyprayed:

"Getusthroughthismess,willYou?

"

　　18Amomentlater,thehurricane,inonemightyswipe,liftedtheentireroofoffthehouseandskimmedit40feetthroughtheair.Thebottomstepsofthestaircasebrokeapart.Onewallbegancrumblingonthemaroonedgroup.

　　19Dr.RobertH.Simpson,directoroftheNationalHurricaneCenterinMiami,Fla.,gradedHurricaneCamilleas"thegreatestrecordedstormevertohitapopulatedareaintheWesternHemisphere."initsconcentratedbreadthofsome70milesitshotoutwindsofnearly200m.p.h.andraisedtidesashighas30feet.AlongtheGulfCoastitdevastatedeverythinginitsswath:

19,467homesand709smallbusinessesweredemolishedorseverelydamaged.itseizeda600,000-gallonGulfportoiltankanddumpedit3~milesaway.Ittorethreelargecargoshipsfromtheirmooringsandbeachedthem.Telephonepolesand20-inch-thickpinescrackedlikegunsasthewindssnappedthem.

　　20TothewestofGulfport,thetownofPassChristianwasvirtuallywipedout.SeveralvacationersattheluxuriousRichelieuApartmentsthereheldahurricanepartytowatchthestormfromtheirspectacularvantagepoint.RichelieuApartmentsweresmashedapartasifbyagiganticfist,and26peopleperished.

　　21SecondsaftertheroofblewofftheKoshakhouse,johnyelled,"Upthestairs--intoourbedroom!

Countthekids."Thechildrenhuddledintheslashingrainwithinthecircleofadults.GrandmotherKoshakimplored,"Children,let'ssing!

"Thechildrenweretoofrightenedtorespond.Shecarriedonaloneforafewbars;thenhervoicetrailedaway.

　　22Debrisflewastheliving-roomfireplaceanditschimneycollapsed.Withtwowallsintheirbedroomsanctuarybeginningtodisintegrate,Johnordered,"Intothetelevisionroom!

"Thiswastheroomfarthestfromthedirectionofthestorm.

　　23Foraninstant,Johnputhisarmaroundhiswife.Janisunderstood.Shiveringfromthewindandrainandfear,clutchingtwochildrentoher,shethought,DearLord,givemethestrengthtoendurewhatIhaveto.Shefeltangeragainstthehurricane.Wewon'tletitwin.

　　24PopKoshakragedsilently,frustratedatnotbeingabletodoanythingtofightCamille.Withoutreason,hedraggedacedarchestandadoublemattressfromabed-roomintotheTVroom.Atthatmoment,thewindtoreoutonewallandextinguishedthelantern.Asecondwallmoved,wavered,CharlieHilltriedtosupportit,butittoppledonhim,injuringhisback.Thehouse,shudderingandrocking,hadmoved25feetfromitsfoundations.Theworldseemedtobebreakingapart.

　　25"Let'sgetthatmattressup!

"Johnshoutedtohisfather."Makeitalean-toagainstthewind.Getthekidsunderit.Wecanpropitupwithourheadsandshoulders!

"

　　26Thelargerchildrensprawledonthefloor,withthesmalleronesinalayerontopofthem,andtheadultsbentoverallnine.Thefloortilted.Theboxcontainingthelitterofkittensslidoffashelfandvanishedinthewind.Spookyflewoffthetopofaslidingbookcaseandalsodisappeared.Thedogcoweredwitheyesclosed.Athirdwallgaveway.Waterlappedacrosstheslantingfloor.Johngrabbedadoorwhichwasstillhingedtooneclosetwall."Ifthefloorgoes,"heyelledathisfather,"let'sgetthekidsonthis."

　　27Inthatmoment,thewindslightlydiminished,andthewaterstoppedrising.Thenthewaterbeganreceding.ThemainthrustofCamillehadpassed.TheKoshaksandtheirfriendshadsurvived.

　　28Withthedawn,Gulfportpeoplestartedcomingbacktotheirhomes.Theysawhumanbodies--morethan130men,womenandchildrendiedalongtheMississippicoast-andpartsofthebeachandhighwaywerestrewnwithdeaddogs,cats,cattle.Stripsofclothingfestoonedthestandingtrees,andblowndownpowerlinescoiledlikeblackspaghettiovertheroads.

　　29Noneofthereturneesmovedquicklyorspokeloudly;theystoodshocked,tryingtoabsorbtheshatteringscenesbeforetheireyes."Whatdowedot"theyasked."Wheredowego?

"

　　30Bythistime,organizationswithintheareaand,ineffect,theentirepopulationoftheUnitedStateshadcometotheaidofthedevastatedcoast.Beforedawn,theMississippiNat