Hurricane Sandy

Asa Mon 29, 2012

As Halloween celebrations creep closer and closer, all of us here at Camp Burgess and Hayward prepare for Hurricane Sandy to smack down on Cape Cod in the next 24 hours.  Sandy has worked its way up the east coast and is expected to head in a westerly inland direction once it arrives in the northeast region of the United States.  Cape Cod is gearing up for some high winds, coastal flooding, downed trees and significant power outages.  Even though Camp is located on the bay side of Cape Cod, where coastal lands are protected by the inward curling arm of the Cape, we are still anticipating huge waves on the beaches of Sandwich and Barnstable.

There are two very different feelings here at Camp today.  The year round staff and remaining Outdoor Education instructors are both wary and cautious about the incoming storm, but at the same time we are all excited beyond belief for the sheer force of nature to show its strength.  Already, a few hours before the true hurricane has reached us, the flimsy pitch pines are rocking back and forth, the cold waters of Spectacle and Triangle ponds are humming with white water caps, and the top floor of our camp office is vibrating with each passing wind gust.

This property offers an ideal setting for observing local storms.  Some of us watch through the windows of our staff houses, warm and safe in the cozy sheltered confines.  Some of us prefer to stroll through the woods toward Phillips Field, where a wall of forest gives way to a wide view of the sky.  And others dare the storm to keep them away from their daily paddle across the pond or a game of knock-out on the basketball court.

This has been a unique fall season so far at camp.  Two weeks ago I felt the office shake around 7 pm.  I ran downstairs to ask if anyone else had felt it and they all looked at me with strange and sympathetic eyes, probably wondering quietly if working nights in the office had gotten to me somehow.  The morning news began the next day with an account of the earthquake that had hit the northeast region the previous night.  I was relieved to know I hadn’t been conjuring these things up.  And today Sandy makes its way into our home on Cape Cod, into all the backyards of our many camper families, staff and alumni throughout the area.

Enjoy the storm everybody.  Be safe.  I hope you find your own special place to watch this unfolding power of nature.

-Asa Gallagher, Camp Burgess Director

Categories: Blog