Lesson-1-Face-to-Face-with-Hurricane-Camille-原文.docx

Lesson1FacetoFacewithHurricaneCamilleJosephRBlank1 JohnKoshak,Jr.,knewthatHurricaneCamillewouldbebad.RadioandtelevisionwarningshadsoundedthroughoutthatSunday,lastAugust17,asCamillelashednorthwestwardacrosstheGulfofMexico.ItwascertaintopummelGulfport,Miss.,wheretheKosherslived.AlongthecoastsofLouisiana,MississippiandAlabama,nearly150,000peoplefledinlandtosafer8round.But,likethousandsofothersinthecoastalCommunitiesJohnwasreluctanttoabandonhishomeunlessthefamilyhiswife,Janis,andtheirsevenchildren,abed3to11wasclearlyendangered.2 Tryingtoreasonoutthebestcourseofaction,hetalkedwithhisfatherandmother;whohadmovedintotheten-roomhousewiththeKoshaksamonthearlierfromCalifornia.HealsoconsultedCharlesHill,alongtimefriend,whohaddrivenfromLasVegasforavisit.3 John,37whosebusinesswasrightthereinhishome(hedesignedanddevelopededucationaltoysandsupplies,andallofMagnaProducts'correspondence,engineeringdrawingsandartworkwerethereonthefirstfloor)wasfamiliarwiththepowerofahurricane.Fouryearsearlier;HurricaneBetsyhaddemolishedundefinedhisformerhomeafewmileswestofGulfport(Koshakhadmovedhisfamilytoamotelforthenight).Butthathousehadstoodonlyafewfeetabovesealevel."We'reelevated2afeet,"hetoldhisfather,"andwe'reagood250yardsfromthesea.Theplacehasbeenheresince1915,andnohurricanehaseverbotheredit.We'IIprobablybeassafehereasanyplaceelse."4 TheelderKoshak,agruffwarmheartedexpertmachinistof67,agreed."Wecanbattendownandrideitout,"hesaid."Ifweseesignsofdanger,wecangetoutbeforedark."5 Themenmethodicallypreparedforthehurricane.Sincewatermainsmightbedamaged,theyfilledbathtubsandpails.Apowerfailurewaslikely,sotheycheckedoutbatteriesfortheportableradioandflashlights,andfuelforthelantern.John'sfathermovedasmallgeneratorintothedownstairshallway,wiredseverallightbulbstoitandpreparedaconnectiontotherefrigerator.6 Rainfellsteadilythatafternoon;graycloudsscuddedinfromtheGulfontherisingwind.Thefamilyhadanearlysupper.Aneighbor,whosehusbandwasinVietnam,askedifsheandhertwochildrencouldsitoutthestormwiththeKoshaks.Anotherneighborcamebyonhiswayin-landwouldtheKoshaksmindtakingcareofhisdog?7 Itgrewdarkbeforeseveno,clock.Windandrainnowwhippedthehouse.Johnsenthisoldestsonanddaughterupstairstobringdownmattressesandpillowsfortheyoungerchildren.Hewantedtokeepthegrouptogetherononefloor."Stayawayfromthewindows,"hewarned,concernedaboutglassflyingfromstorm-shatteredpanes.AsthewindmountedtoaroanthehousebeganIeaking-therainseeminglydrivenrightthroughthewalls.Withmops,towels,potsandbucketstheKoshaksbeganastruggleagainsttherapidlyspreadingwater.At8:30,powerfailed,andPopKoshakturnedonthegenerator.8 Theroarofthehurricanenowwasoverwhelming.Thehouseshook,andtheceilinginthelivingroomwasfallingpiecebypiece.TheFrenchdoorsinanupstairsroomblewinwithanexplosivesound,andthegroupheardgun-likereportsasotherupstairswindowsdisintegrated.Waterroseabovetheirankles.9 Thenthefrontdoorstartedtobreakawayfromitsframe.JohnandCharlieputtheirshouldersagainstit,butablastofwaterhitthehouse,flingingopenthedoorandshovingthemdownthehall.Thegeneratorwasdoused,andthelightswentout.CharlielickedhislipsandshoutedtoJohn."Ithinkwe,reinrealtrouble.Thatwatertastedsalty."Theseahadreachedthehouse,andthewaterwasrisingbytheminute!10 "Everybodyoutthebackdoortotheoars!"Johnyelled."We,IIpassthechildrenalongbetweenus.Countthem!Nine!"11 Thechildrenwentfromadulttoadultlikebucketsinafirebrigade.Butthecarswouldn'tstart;theelectricalsystemshadbeenkilledbywater.ThewindwastooStrongandthewatertoodeeptofleeonfoot."Backtothehouse!"johnyelled,"Countthechildren!Countnine!"12 Astheyscrambledback,johnordered,"Every-bodyonthestairs!"Frightened,breathlessandwet,thegroupsettledonthestairs,whichwereprotectedbytwointeriorwalls.Thechildrenputtheoat,Spooky,andaboxwithherfourkittensonthelanding.Shepeerednervouslyatherlitter.Theneighbor'sdogcurledupandwenttosleep.13 Thewindsoundedliketheroarofatrainpassingafewyardsaway.Thehouseshudderedandshiftedonitsfoundations.Waterincheditswayupthestepsasfirst-flooroutsidewallscollapsed.Noonespoke.Everyoneknewtherewasnoescape;theywouldliveordieinthehouse.14 CharlieHillhadmoreorlesstakenresponsibilityfortheneighborandhertwochildren.Themotherwasonthevergeofpanic.Sheclutchedhisarmandkeptrepeating,"Ican'tswim,Ican'tswim."15 "Youwon'thaveto,"hetoldher;withoutwardcalm."It'sboundtoendsoon."16 GrandmotherKoshakreachedanarmaroundherhusband'sshoulderandputhermouthclosetohisear."Pop,"shesaid,hIloveyou."Heturnedhisheadandanswered,"Iloveyou"-andhisvoicelackeditsusualgruffness.17 Johnwatchedthewaterlapatthesteps,andfeltacrushingguilt.HehadunderestimatedtheferocityofCamille.Hehadassumedthatwhathadneverhappenedcouldnothappen.Heheldhisheadbetweenhishands,andsilentlyprayed:"Getusthroughthismess,willYou?"18 Amomentlater,thehurricane,inonemightyswipe,liftedtheentireroofoffthehouseandskimmedit40feetthroughtheair.Thebottomstepsofthestaircasebrokeapart.Onewallbegancrumblingonthemaroonedgroup.19 Dr.RobertH.Simpson,directoroftheNationalHurricaneCenterinMiami,Fla.,gradedHurricaneCamille