As you know, Hurricane Irene was the recent scare that hit the east coast. In the end, this category-1 hurricane was downgraded into a powerful tropical storm. That did not stop it from tearing into part of the coast and making its way north to New England.
My wife and I prepared as best as we could by getting a gallon of water, some ice and a cooler, and batteries. However, in the end, it was not much for our neck of the woods. Irene did not turn back toward the ocean, so she kept moving northwest, which means we here in southeastern New Hampshire did not get much more than a typical rain storm. Only a few people we know got their power knocked out, and we only know of one power line that fell. Our power only surged a few times, but it never went out. In fact, it is a beautiful day today, the day after.
Many churches in the area canceled, but RCC still had our worship gatherings on Sunday morning. The crowds were down, of course, but we still had a great time worshipping God.
Nonetheless, our prayers go out to the many people who were not as fortunate. Many people throughout New York, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and western Massachusetts are without power. On top of that, we have heard some people did die in the storm. We pray that our God of comfort will especially be with them in their time of need.
Steve Cullum 