NOTE: Considering Hurricane Matthew from last week, this post is an odd coincidence. It's been planned for a year and happens to come after the storm's devastation.
Weather plays a factor in many disasters (tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards, etc.) and in Hurricane Crimes, weather has a big role in the plot. Not only that, but it also contributes to the tone.
Extreme Weather Can:
Knock over trees
Rip off roofs
Lift cars
Flood towns
Freeze pipes
Bury houses
Kill people
In Hurricane
Crimes, Beth and Donovan are stuck in the middle of a category 5 hurricane.
Category 5 hurricanes are the strongest hurricanes possible. They have winds
that gust at 157 mph or higher. Is a category 6 possible? Scientists say no.
There are several factors that limit how powerful a storm can become. 200 mph
is the highest that hurricane winds can theoretically get, and category 5
storms are already rare.
Hurricane Crimes Excerpt:
She took a deep breath to brace herself and wrenched the knob.
The instant the door was cracked open a gust of wind shoved its way through,
yanking the door out of her grasp and slamming it into the wall. She stumbled
back when the wind collided into her chest, knocking free the breath she had
sucked in seconds before. Her hands groped for the slick doorknob and she had
to use all of her strength to wrestle the door closed.
An invisible hand plastered her into the hard wood, grinding her spine into it. She pushed forward and pulled herself along the length of the concrete wall; she practically had to claw her way.
When she stepped beyond the wall, wind slashed at her and
rain hit her like liquid bullets. Her maple hair flipped over her face, wrapped
around her neck, and whipped her cheeks. Walking down the driveway was a war
between the steep decline and the gusts eager to see her face-plant into the
cement. She reached the bottom without toppling head over feet, waded through
the water flooded at the foot of the driveway, and began to make her way to the
wrecked car.
The sky above was a thick, whirling mass of gray clouds. It
looked angry. Wet leaves and pine needles blanketed the road and water flooded
the ditches, creating two rivers on either side of the black pavement. Pine
trees were bending in every direction as the wind ordered, nearly snapping them
in half.
To read more:
QUESTION: What forms of extreme weather have you experienced?
HALLOWEEN GIVEAWAY!
Hurricanes and blizzards and dust storms and severe thunderstorms.... Glad you made it well through the storm. No trees on my house, but many neighbors not so lucky.
ReplyDeleteI weathered the storm. ;) For me, I had a lot of branches down.
DeleteBlizzards when I lived up north, hurricanes since I've lived in Florida. Had a few tornado watches/warnings, too, but thankfully never experienced any actual ones.
ReplyDeleteI've been through tornado warnings and watches, but not an actual one either. I hope neither of us do.
DeleteHad only two really bad hurricanes in my life time and then just a few stupid snow storms, hate them both haha
ReplyDeleteHurricanes and blizzards are worthy of the Cat's hate.
DeleteGood to know two hundred miles per hour is as bad as it could get. I think tornadoes top off around three hundred.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure about tornados. I'd have to research that. :)
DeleteI always want to live at the beach- until hurricane season. Then I'm happy to be nestled in my inland hills.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good plan.
DeleteTornadoes can do extreme damage, but a hurricane spreads the damage so much further.
ReplyDeleteOur town made the national news yesterday when the Neuse River crested. half the town is without power and now a large portion of it is underwater.
Goodness! I am praying for everyone in your town.
DeleteOnly extreme weather I've dealt with has to do with snow. I'm fine with that too.
ReplyDeleteI'll be writing about snow next. ;)
DeleteNice excerpt. Anything hurricane has a new appreciation from me. Not that we got hit, but just the threat is enough to throw life off completely.
ReplyDeleteThe threat of a hurricane can impact you greatly.
DeleteHere in the UK we had a hurricane in the 80s. caused much havoc and tress being uprooted. I dopn't think we get them that often so I feel for any place who get their fair share of them.
ReplyDeleteYvonne.
Hurricanes are not something to scoff at, for sure. Florida hadn't been hit in 11 years and this year we've been impacted quite a bit.
DeletePlease excuse spelling mistakes but my lighting isn't very good at the memonet....needs a new bulb.
ReplyDeleteYvonne.
No worries, Yvonne!
DeleteLuckily, I live in a fairly safe (except for excessive heat) area. We can get some wild Micro-bursts during Monsoon and I've managed to be struck by lightning twice. Dust storms have become quite an issue in recent years. Great excerpt!
ReplyDeleteYou've been struck by lightning? Dang. I'm writing a story right now that has to do with lightning...
DeleteI like the phrase "grinding her spine." That makes me feel it. Good showing instead of telling.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Thanks, Janie!
DeleteThe excerpt was really good. I'm certain you can relate to the wind esp ially since you just experienced the most recent hurricane. I have lived through a major blizzard ( blizzard of '77), driving through horrible fog where I could not see the end of my car and had to look down the side to see the yellow line to make sure I was on the right side of the road and a major windstorm which took my roof shingles and many trees were uprooted.
ReplyDeleteYes, I've been through quite a few hurricanes and tropical storms. I like fog but not fog as bad as that!
DeleteIt sounds like I'm similar in my experiences here...Hurricanes, Blizzards, and Ice Storms. Although I've also dealt with Sand Storms before too, so maybe that's new!
ReplyDeleteA sand storm is a new one to me. I've never experienced one, and I don't think my characters will either.
DeleteLet's just say they aren't particularly present.
DeleteI can imagine.
DeleteHi Chrys ... extreme weather of any description is just horrible and frightening - and I'm glad it misses me, or that I'm not in a country where extremes happen. We do get tornadoes here and some pretty scary storms ... but nothing compared to other parts of the world. I have had some wild experiences ... but mild compared to many ...
ReplyDeleteCheers Hilary
You're right about that, Hilary. Sounds like you've picked a good place to live.
DeleteHurricane Matthew was quite the force. So glad you're okay, Chrys! I have a friend in Jacksonville and we emailed the night before. They waited out the storm at home and lost power for a few days. They're all okay though. Beth and Donovan survived with some ingenuity;). I survived a tornado, a memorable experience. Weather can really contribute to the theme, atmosphere and directly to the plot of a story.
ReplyDeleteThe thought of a tornado frightens me more than a hurricane. Gosh, those anomalies are fierce.
DeleteI was living in California with my grandmother in 1982 when a hurricane came though. I was just 12 years old and all I remember is a lot of wind and rain. A couple of the many tree's in my grandma's yard fell over and the fence blew over.
ReplyDeleteA few years ago I was in an earthquake here in Las Vegas but I think it turned out to be a 5.1 so it wasn't too bad.
Trees and fences are usual victims of hurricanes. A 5.0 quake could be considered a decent shake, depending on where you are.
DeleteI thought about you when the hurricane came along and you marked yourself safe via Facebook. I thought, hope it's not as bad as the weather in her books!
ReplyDeleteFor me, it wasn't as bad, but other areas did get as bad. Or close to it.
DeleteWe live on a fairly large large in central BC. When the winds reach up to 100 km, I am nervous. I can handle pretty well any kind of weather, but not wind. I saw a wind tornado go through my neighbour's yard last week. Fascinating, but it was only 3' x 6'.
ReplyDeleteMeant to add that I'm glad you're okay, Chrys.
DeleteI would be freaked if I saw any tornado. Big or tiny.
DeleteThanks, Joylene!
We don't really get "extreme" weather here (unless you count 105 degree temps in September), so I haven't really experienced any extreme weather. Gusty winds make me nervous, so I have no idea how I'd do in a hurricane (I assume not well).
ReplyDelete105 degrees could be considered extreme.
DeleteThe thought of weather burying houses is frightening beyond breath.
ReplyDeleteIt is!
DeleteGreat excerpt, Chrys! I guess the worst weather I've experienced is a blizzard. We've had many threats of flooding, and my basement has flooded, but it's nothing like you see on the news. Our city built a floodway that protects it, thankfully. But it's always scary to see the towns south of us completely covered by water.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you're okay! Living in Florida, do you get "used" to hurricanes, or are they still really scary? Do you find the media outside of the state exaggerates the situation? That certainly happens to us.
Flooding is scary.
DeleteMany Floridians get used to threat and usually don't bat an eyelash if a tropical storm or lower hurricane is approaching. We hadn't had a hurricane get so close to making landfall in 11 years. When a Cat 5 is said to make landfall, we do fear. I was worried about Matthew. I was right where the eye was supposed to make landfall but didn't, and nothing happened in this area. Nothing at all. Other areas got hit worse, which is a mystery.
Oh, the media can exaggerate it. That's what the media does, right. ;)
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