Ivan’s Aftermath
September 19, 2004
I have been back in Bay Minette since Friday, but today is the first day that I’ve been able to go somewhere that has electricity to get online. I’m happy to report that, while Ivan definitely left his mark, at least here in Bay Minette we were very lucky.
The random way in which Ivan hit the area is strange. Unlike a huge swath of destruction like Frederic or Camille, this storm obliterated homes without touching the neighbors, turning six-lane highways into dirt roads while leaving power lines intact. We were fortunate in Bay Minette that, although we took a direct hit from the storm, the level of destruction was minimal. A few gas stations destroyed, a few roofs removed, and a few broken windows. The saddest loss in my own town is that of the many beautiful Bradford pear trees that were planted along the streets of downtown when I was a kid. Most of them are gone now.
We are certainly fortunate. Our neighbors in Orange Beach, Gulf Shores, Pensacola, and Atmore were all harder hit than we were here. We’ve got a lot of cleaning up to do, and it will likely still be several more days before we’re again enjoying the benefits of electricity. But we survived the storm, and for that we can all be grateful.
I’ve posted a set of photos showing Bay Minette after the storm.