Having grown up and spent my entire life in tornado alley, I always wondered what it was like to live in ‘hurricane alley’. I know that in preparation they board up their windows, and often evacuate. It just is so interesting to me to learn about the disasters different areas are prone to, and what precautions are taken for that particular danger. For instance, I was very interested to read about what architects are doing to make buildings more earthquake-ready. But back to the Carolina’s and the hurricanes, I was very curious to learn what it is like to live in a hurricane zone. And I found a great book on the topic, North Carolina’s Hurricane History, by Jay Barnes. It is now in its third edition, and it is a chronological history of the hurricanes that have affected the area dating back to the sixteenth century and working its way forward to 1999. So Hurricane Isabel, which occurred in 2003, is not included in the book. I’m pretty sure I would have to think long and hard before buying NC Waterfront Property. Of course, I guess you could really say that about any area. I know I used to sit and listen to my grandmother’s stories of living in California, and vowed never to move there, either!

GO READ A BOOK!