Humberto's Hello
Thursday started off with me lying awake in bed at 4 a.m. and wondering when the heck Tropical Storm Humberto would hit.
Sure, it was raining outside and the wind chimes were tinkling, but it sure didn't sound like a big deal to me, other than the occasional crack of a breaking tree somewhere out there in the neighborhood.
Then the phones - cell and landline - started ringing, and I was told the Humberto was a hurricane, not a tropical storm, and that horrible things were happening to the south. Power was out at The Beaumont Enterprise.
In surprise moments such as this, it typically takes me a good 5 to 10 minutes of mindless twirling before I come up with a game plan.
Our home had power, Internet access, cable television, food, water and the ability to make hot coffee.
In other words, I had everything I needed to be a one-man newsroom, so that's what I did. Assistant Managing Editor Pete Churton and reporter Beth Gallaspy had one going in their home, too.
Soon, I was editing, posting and even writing for the website. I also helped coordinate the reporters out there, from Hamshire to High Island to Orange - all while sitting in my boxer shorts, drinking coffee and digging into a world-class omelet and homemade biscuits my wife had constructed to keep me going during the news frenzy.
I could have done that all day, but, alas, power was restored to The Enterprise, and I had to wash up and come to work.
It was an interesting way to cover what was an interesting storm, one that made history for its rapid development.
And it sure beat the heck out of working in Hurricane Rita's muggy aftermath.
Sure, it was raining outside and the wind chimes were tinkling, but it sure didn't sound like a big deal to me, other than the occasional crack of a breaking tree somewhere out there in the neighborhood.
Then the phones - cell and landline - started ringing, and I was told the Humberto was a hurricane, not a tropical storm, and that horrible things were happening to the south. Power was out at The Beaumont Enterprise.
In surprise moments such as this, it typically takes me a good 5 to 10 minutes of mindless twirling before I come up with a game plan.
Our home had power, Internet access, cable television, food, water and the ability to make hot coffee.
In other words, I had everything I needed to be a one-man newsroom, so that's what I did. Assistant Managing Editor Pete Churton and reporter Beth Gallaspy had one going in their home, too.
Soon, I was editing, posting and even writing for the website. I also helped coordinate the reporters out there, from Hamshire to High Island to Orange - all while sitting in my boxer shorts, drinking coffee and digging into a world-class omelet and homemade biscuits my wife had constructed to keep me going during the news frenzy.
I could have done that all day, but, alas, power was restored to The Enterprise, and I had to wash up and come to work.
It was an interesting way to cover what was an interesting storm, one that made history for its rapid development.
And it sure beat the heck out of working in Hurricane Rita's muggy aftermath.
posted by Brian Pearson at 9:45 AM
2 Comments:
Yeh, I'm just waiting for whatever that thing is just out there to the east of Florida.
That's going to be the bad boy of the season, I feel it in my bones.
This one I sat up for.. Couldnt sleep. No where near as bad as rita.. In reality for me.. It hit less than a .5 on a 1-5 scale. But after Rita..What can one expect.. But then again only 10 minutes south of me had some good sized damage from Humberto..
I too have all eyes on florida!
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