Above: The star of the show. Right: Beach and stars.
Below: The stars align.
Because the storm’s rotation had been moving east to west
at high tide, its winds actually pushed the water away from
the shore. Consequently, Kiawah was fortunate to escape
significant damage—especially as related to our critical dune
structure. Had the timing been off by just a few hours, it
would have been an entirely different story.
My experience exploring the beach following the storm
was amazing. Because of the evacuation, I found myself
completely alone, except, of course, for the many birds.
It was a beautiful, pristine Kiawah day—one of the year’s
best. The tide was farther out than I’ve ever seen it, and the
beach was strewn with starfish and seashells delivered by the
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violent storm surge—if there was one, there were literally
hundreds.
Every article about the storm took note of how fortunate
the Charleston area had been due to the timing of the
hurricane’s arrival. Thinking about Dorian after the fact, it
occurred to me that Mother Nature has a remarkable ability
to create, destroy, and to create anew. Her storms make room
for new life and help us to appreciate the beauty of all that
we are putting at risk if we ignore her messages. She reminds
us of her power lest we forget or take undue advantage of all
she has given us. Let us all remember that as we consider the
urgency of our options going forward. NK
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