W

ednesday marked the start of — to me —one of the most interesting seasons of the year — hurricane season.

I have always been interested, no, fascinated, by these powerful storms that form in the Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. I’ve lived through them, and from June 1 through Dec. 1, I watch as they develop and follow their tracks across the water.

I have read countless books on hurricanes and how they’re formed, and the histories of several storms, including accounts of the 1936 Labor Day hurricane that devastated the Florida Keys, the “Long Island Express” of 1938, the 1900 Galveston Hurricane and Hurricane Camille.

My first memory of a hurricane goes back to 1957 (I’m dating myself again) and Hurricane Audrey, which hit the Southwest Louisiana Coast with a vengeance, destroying Cameron Parish and the parish seat of Cameron. I hadn’t turned 7 yet, but I remember we received only wind and rain while Cameron was being battered, and then later seeing the images of Audrey’s aftermath on the TV.

Eight years later, it was Betsy, which hit New Orleans and then traveled north on U.S. 90 hitting Baton Rouge with 90 mph winds. I was in the high school band, and we played at a football game as Betsy was making her way ashore. I remember a lot of rain, and looking up at the steel light stands and seeing them rocking in the wind. The band was sent home at the half.

Five years later, Camille got us wet.

My family experienced Georges in 1998 when we lived on the Coast. My wife and daughter went to Baton Rouge to stay with my in-laws, and I stayed to cover the storm. We lost part of our roof and part of an oak tree.

Then there was Katrina. I’ve written enough about Katrina in the past, and I usually write a column about my experiences near the anniversary of the storm’s landfall on the Coast. The memory of what I saw during and after the storm still haunts me and always will.

I guess my fascination with the storms goes back to my limited memories of Audrey, and it’s interesting to read how these storms form and move across the seas.

And no matter where you live, you can be affected by a hurricane. The outer bands can cause torrential rains and tornadoes in areas far north of the Coast. When Ivan hit the coast in 2004, winds in excess of 75 mph were experienced as far as Meridian. In 2005, Katrina sent 100 mph winds into North Mississippi. Betsy in 1965 caused heavy flooding in Virginia.

So as we have done every year we’ve been married, my wife and I will prepare for the season, laying in extra supplies of batteries and non-perishable foods. We’ve learned it pays to be prepared, even miles from the coast.

We will be ready. Will you?

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John Surratt is a staff writer for The Vicksburg Post. Email him at john.surratt@vicksburgpost.com.