As many of you know, Hurricane Irene swept up the east coast on Saturday afternoon and evening, bringing lots of wind and rain along with it. Sadly, our neighborhood didn’t fare very well with high wind gusts slamming a bunch of giant trees down on power lines, roads, and even homes.
Thankfully, our house was spared. But many of our neighbors and friends weren’t so lucky. It broke our hearts to look out from our patio to see that a tree in our neighbor’s yard had fallen onto their home (it easily could have hit ours if it fell in the other direction).
Thankfully although they were both home with their two dogs at the time, no one was hurt. But parts of their house are flooded and shattered, and we’re so sad for them – and anyone else whose family or house has been affected.
When it came to what we did during the storm, we just hunkered down at home between 6pm to midnight when the winds were at their worst. And after hearing/seeing a few large trees come down on our block we decided to sleep in interior rooms, just to have a bit more protection in the event that something fell on our house (since our basement is below grade, we worried it could flood – which is why we opted for interior rooms over lower level spaces). Clara slept in the hallway in a pack and play (since it was insulated by rooms on all sides)…
… and John and I dragged the not-as-heavy-as-ours mattress from the guest room into the kitchen (which is also in the middle of our house).
Thankfully our basement didn’t flood and although we have a bunch of branches and debris to clean up on our yard (along with a few larger tree limbs in the back) we feel incredibly fortunate.
We’re still without power along with what we hear are around 800,000 other Richmonders (ours went out around 5pm on Saturday, so we’re on our third day without it). We’re hoping to have it restored soon, but realistically know that it could be a few more days or even one to two weeks (a statement that they just released alludes to the latter of those timelines). A number of trees on the power lines in our neighborhood means that it might be a while for us, so our blogging schedule may be a bit irregular until our area is back up and running. We also might not be able to keep up with comments, facebook, and twitter as much as we’d like (since you know we’re usually so chatty), but we do have plans to stop in with the afternoon giveaway as usual, and hope that everyone else who is dealing with any sort of storm repercussions is doing ok.
Oh and we felt compelled to check on our first house and were so relieved to see that it appeared to make it through. Although there was a huge tree on the house across the street. Scary stuff.
Between this and the earthquake on Tuesday, we’re ready to be done with natural disasters for a while – especially since it’s rare for either of them to affect Richmond so much (the last major storm in our area was Isabel in 2003, and most Richmonders were without power for about a week). Let’s hope we’re back up and running sooner than that. Luckily a few of our relatives do have power and enough food/water to go around. In fact here’s Clara on Sunday morning after the storm passed and we headed over to Grammy’s house, where there’s power, glorious power (which seems to be a rarity in our city). We joked that all of the chaos drove her into the arms of her cousin John…
… where they watched a video together and had a grand old time.
Thanks so much to everyone on twitter, facebook, and here in the comments who checked in on us this weekend. You have no idea how much we appreciate the love and send it right back atcha. And for anyone else who was affected, we’d love to hear from you about how you’re doing.
Angela says
Phew! So glad you’re a-ok! I hope your neiir house neighbors get their house repaired soon!
Amber says
Glad to hear you all made it out okay.
We lost power in Annapolis around 10-11 on Saturday night. Still without it. We live in a heavily wooded neighborhood too, and luckily no tree on houses like you guys. But trees brushing houses and ripping siding and gutter and shingles? Yeah, but no major damage. A good couple of cars didn’t fair too well. My boyfriend does tree work, and him and I spent all day Sunday taking down a massive tree (4 foot wide at the trunk) that fell on our neighbors Subaru. Next street over a Grand Cherokee got destroyed and someone’s newly restore 60s Mustang Convertible. Poor guy.
Glad to see everyone is safe.
Marissa says
So glad to hear you guys (and your home) made it through safely. Hope you’re not without power too long, but now we be a wonderful time to knit! My prayers go out to your neighbors.
Jen says
I was thinking about you guys this weekend, especially because we cloth diaper too and a few days without power could really throw a dent in that! Hopefully you had some ‘sposies to weather the storm!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes we stocked up when we heard we might not have power for a week! Missing cloth already though!
xo,
s
Tracey says
I can’t get over the photos of damage and flooding we keep seeing everywhere. I live in Ohio and we had some blustery winds, but that was about it. My heart and prayers go out to everyone involved. And I hope you get power back soon – That’s always a bummer!
P.S. – I’m in love with the last pic of Clara and her cous. SO stinkin’ cute the way she’s laying there!!!
Lisa says
Glad to hear you are ok! We left our house to stay with my MIL (we are in northern NJ), and both our house and her house made it through ok, with just a little bit of water in the basement and clean up in the yard.
Erin says
We are so glad that you are all safe and sound :) ,you were in the thoughts of so many readers over the last couple of days.
We are still waiting to hear if my husband’s aunt and uncle are okay, they are also living in your state.
I love the pic of Clara hugging her cousin, very cute (especially since he doesn’t look bothered at all) and think that it is cool that she has a “Grammy” as I have a “Grammie/Grammy” and “Bompa” (names I gave my grandparents eons ago).
YoungHouseLove says
That’s funny! She has a Grammy and TomTom (somehow one of the older grandkids started calling him that and it stuck).
xo,
s
Elisa says
Yikes, glad you guys fared okay! We lived in Northern VA for Isabel and as for power it just totally varied. Here’s to hoping you have a lot of Starbucks and wifi spots around you, hah.
On the plus side at least you have a compost bin now for all that rotten food! (Always thinking positive over here..)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, we sadly lost everything in our fridge/freezer yesterday. Thank goodness for compost!
xo,
s
Liz says
Happy that you made it through! We fared far better than expected in western Massachusetts – a few big limbs down and a very swollen river. Here’s hoping for a quick recovery for you and your neighbors.
Sugar Cookie says
Wow, these pictures remind me of the aftermath of Hurricane Frances (a category 2 hurricane the size of Texas) that hit Florida in 2005 and stayed on the state for almost a week. (It was a really slow-moving storm!) So I know what you are going through – glad you are all okay!
Allyn says
I kept thinking about you guys!
Your pictures remind me of my neighborhood back in Memphis in 2003, when “Hurricane Elvis” (aka crazy straight line winds) hit ut. Huge old oak trees down everywhere, and no power for weeks. In Memphis. In early August. Blech.
SO glad you’re safe!
Sonja says
Glad you guys are OK. Scary stuff!
Stephanie says
I’m glad your house was spared! I hope the homes and lives of you and your neighbors/friends/family are back to normal soon. The dense buildings and lack of big trees spared us in Philly, I’m very thankful. Best wishes.
Mindy @ Heart Maine Home says
I’m so glad to hear you guys were spared from serious damage! How heartbreaking to see your neighborhood like that, though. :(
Also, those pictures of Clara snuggling her cuz are so adorable!
Tabitha says
I’m glad you guys are alright! I’m in Gloucester & we made out just fine as well. Power is out of course, 12pm Saturday – but thankfully my parents have a generator! We were told 1-2 weeks for power, but a coworker of mine lives in New Kent & he was told up to 21 days – the HORROR!!!! Thanks for the cute Clara pictures, she chased away the monday blues :).
YoungHouseLove says
Wow- 21 days would really be crazy. Here’s hoping it’s all a rumor (I pretend things I don’t want to hear are rumors, haha).
xo,
s
madi says
Glad to hear you’re okay, and that your house is intact. My first thought upon seeing the title was: oh no, did their front yard trees get cleared out quicker than intended?!
LauraElle says
hahaha :)
Elisa says
Hah! Too bad the hurricane didn’t seem to effect any of the liriope!
YoungHouseLove says
I know right?
xo,
s
Ana says
I’m so glad you’re ok! As soon as I heard the news I thought about you guys.
Love, from the biggest portuguese fan of YHL!
Ana.
Sarah - { rad: renovations are dirty } says
I’m glad to hear that all of you (and your house) made it through okay. It must’ve been quite frightening seeing the tree fall on your neighbours house. :(
Take care!
Callie says
So relieved to hear that you guys are okay. We were shocked (and grateful) that Charlotte was spared completely.
Tina Bland says
We’ve been out of power since Sun am around 1:30 – we are outside Baltimore in Bel Air, MD. Those winds were crazy! Our first day of school was postponed today (I’m a school counselor) and probably will be tomorrow too:( Half our county is out and they are saying 3-5 days?!!? Time to clean out the fridge and freezer!
Glad you all are safe!
Kirsten says
So glad you’ve all gotten through all the craziness that’s gone on over the past week!
Katie @ ktmade blog says
I’m glad you guys (and your home) made it through, though I’m so sad for your neighbors. In DC we weren’t hit quite as hard. Though I saw some down trees and limbs, nothing like what you’re showing here. I will definitely keep your neighbors in my thoughts and hope for a speedy return to your power.
Emily Anne says
Wow! We didn’t have anything like that happen up here in NH. I’m glad you guys made it through the storm OK, but I feel sad for those in the photographs whose homes were hit by the trees. Hopefully you guys get power back soon. Also, those photos of the kids are so adorable!
Angie says
Soooo glad you all are ok. Hang in there for the cleanup!
Suzanne Supplee says
So, so glad y’all are okay. Please keep us posted on your neighbors’ house, as well. The first day of school in Baltimore County was cancelled due to the power outages. Surprisingly, my girls were completely disappointed. Seriously.
Clare says
SO glad you guys are okay! I saw your post on facebook about your power and was really worried, especially because I know how bad it hit Richmond. I can’t believe all of the trees down in your neighborhood – they are huge! It was really smart for you to sleep in the interior of the house. Can’t believe it might be 1-2 wks for yall without power, but I’m glad you have family around that you can go to. I hope everything comes back on ASAP! Little Clara has now survived 2 huge natural disasters! What a trooper :-)
LaMadre says
So happy to hear you’re all safe. We lost our power only for a few hours here on the Maine coast. But several years ago we had an ice storm and lost our power for a week – there’s not much you can do about it and we found the best thing was to give in to it. We ultimately enjoyed the unplanned R&R – although we didn’t have baby. Honestly, now I look back with some really fond memories of that ice storm and from time to time find myself coming across activites and projects and think to myself – that would be something great to do if we ever have another ice storm!
Mel V. says
Glad you came through okay, and all my best to your neighbors who have trees on their houses. Not fun.
Where I live, we lose power for 3-5 days every couple of years – my advice for dealing with it is oil lamps and a wood burning stove or propane camping stove. (Obviously don’t use that one indoors!) A small generator just big enough to power your refrigerator will keep you from losing food. Natural gas lines usually survive storms that bring down the power lines, so that’s one advantage to using it for heat. Friends who have power are also a lifesaver. :-)
Best wishes getting everything cleaned up.
Tash says
Glad you’re all safe!
Jess says
Glad you are all OK. We weathered the storm here in Gloucester, VA (bout an hour east of ya’ll) and THANKFULLY didn’t lose power (just flickering!). Like you, I had the babes sleep in the bedroom downstairs with me to avoid the tree danger. I hope life starts getting back to normal for you all soon. Good luck!
Jess @ Little House. Big Heart. says
So glad you’re safe! I’ll be praying for your neighborhood (and everyone else affected)!
JennyB says
Glad you guys are okay..thoughts and prayers to your neighbors and everyone else who have damage. I hope you get power soon!
erica says
Thought of you guys all weekend, especially when I heard that the largest power outage was in and around Richmond. Glad everyone is safe. Being from Kansas I learned early on that houses can be repaired, as long as everyone is safe that’s the most important thing.
Jess Nicolosi (DeCesare) says
So happy to hear you’re ok after the earthquake then hurricane. MY family in NY/NJ has 15 inches of rain and 4 of it in their basement… crazy times on the East Coast right now! Hang in there.
Sherry, I’ve written before that we could be related (DeCesare). I found it funny that my Mom has the same sofa that Clara and Little John are pictured on in this post. Weird!
jess
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so crazy! What a funny coincidence.
xo,
s
LauraElle says
As much as I enjoy reading y’all’s blog, I’m even happier that y’all are okay.
Stephanie says
Glad to hear you guys are safe and sound! I’ve never been in the path of a major storm, but I can imagine that it is a nerve-wracking (if not just completely terrifying!) experience. Hope that your power is restored quickly, and that your poor neighbors have good success as they rebuild.
And the Clara pictures- priceless! The expressions on her face are adorable. Love them!
Ally says
So glad to hear everything is ok! I have so many friends and family in the area, it just sounds like such a mess! I love the pics of Clara as usual, too cute!
susan says
So glad you are safe and sound. We rode out many hurricanes when we lived in Florida. susan
Christie says
Glad you guys are safe! We didn’t get it too bad in NJ, although lots of roads flooded and branches down. Oh and the trains are still not running! Crazy. No power for 24 hours, but just glad it wasn’t like what they were predicting!!
Emma says
So glad you’re safe guys! Pretty scary stuff but it makes you remember what’s important. HOPEFULLY the tree that fell on to your neighbor’s house didn’t cause structural damage and they can just replace the roof. That’s so scary though and I’m relieved to hear they weren’t hurt. They easily could have been. What a mess. Must be so traumatic for them. Thank heavens for homeowners insurance. All the best and take care!
Molly @ A New Nest says
I’m up in the Baltimore area and my particular block fared okay. Somehow we managed to not lose power. But it’s not so good even just down the street. I saw a huge branch fallen on a car that smashed in the roof. I think about 500,000 people are without power in Maryland. Most of the public schools are closed (I’m a teacher and today was supposed to be our first day of class!). It’s just a little weird and quiet everywhere you go. I went to Target yesterday and it was full of people, I think most of them just didn’t know what to do with themselves so they went shopping.
K says
I am glad you & your neighbors are okay but so scary to have trees falling like that.
Those last pictures are too sweet. Gotta love cousins.
Donita says
SO glad to hear that your family and home are safe. Sad for your neighbors, and so many others on the East Coast. We have been praying for all. The news showed all the water and damage. Our community went through a flood a few years back, we know what you are all going through. Praying!!! Hope you get your power back soon. We love reading your updates, but don’t fret about not being able to keep up as usual. I think that all of your readers would be understanding. Take care, again, so glad that your little family are all ok. We have IRL friends that live in VA too. They are ok. So thankful!!!
Rosi says
Glad Ya’ll are okay!!! My Hubbys dad was told he had to go to work (he lives in NJ) during the storm and he pretty much had to swim there. I found that ridiculous.
Glad your house survived the storm in one piece and hopefully everyone around you will be able to get their lives back up and running in no time! :)
Jen @ The Decor Scene says
So glad you guys are all ok. WOW that is so crazy that those trees came down and not on your home….thankfully!!! I feel bad for anyone that has damage and without power. Hopefully your neighborhood will be back up and running sooner then later. Good luck!!!
Here on Long Island, we were ok at our home. We didn’t lose power and only had two trees down on the block. No ones homes, cars or anything else were damaged. There are around 400,000 people without power right now, but LIPA is moving quickly to repair. They say that when it hit LI, it was a Tropical Storm…really couldn’t tell the difference. We are done now too with natural disasters for a long time. Stay safe YHL!
Autumn says
I think I may be one of the only homes in CT to have power still! Everyone’s got knocked out! I’m grateful! Glad to hear you guys didn’t have any damage!
sally says
We went without power for 21 days during Isabel and surprisingly it wasn’t as bad as you’d think. Didn’t have any trees down but yard debris and limbs collected into a 6 foot high 10-15 foot wide pile out front of the house. Irene didn’t come close to that although we still have a lot of yard pickup to do. Drove all around the Yorktown area and didn’t see too many trees down and no house damage although I’m sure it’s out there somewhere. Good luck getting your power back.
Lois says
OMG, your street looks devastating! Thank goodness everyone was okay! Between the earthquake, the crazy storm on Thursday night and then the hurricane, I am beginning to think the Mayans might’ve been onto something! We’re by the Short Pump mall and our power was restored yesterday morning, so hopefully you guys should be back on soon! My fingers are crossed for you!
Jill says
We’re good here in NC. So glad yall were spared, but like you I feel so bad for those that have damage and lots of trees down. We’ve been in that position before (Hurricane Fran) and it isn’t fun! Clara and her cousin John are too precious for words. I just love it. I’m ready for the natural disasters to cease fire on the east coast!
Heather says
Thinking of you guys, be safe.