I like to take pictures of Hurricanes during and after the storms. I have taken pictures of hurricanes
Frances,
Jeanne and
Wilma. It is very easy to observe the destruction of hurricanes through the media, but I find it more interesting to go find it for myself. Since I work at a hardware store I usually try to get to the store as soon as I can after the storm. There is normally a lot of cleaning to do and I know that the store needs to get opened soon so that people can get what they need to repair their homes.
HURRICANE FRANCES
This is a picture of a tree that was up-rooted during the storm. The winds were so strong that they blew the tree out of the
ground. I could not believe that a tree of this size could be blown over until I saw this.
As I drove East on Lantana Road. I noticed one of the most amazing sites I have ever seen after a hurricane. This gas station is located along Lantana Road. I have never seen anything like this. I could not believe that the entire roof just fell over. What I find to be strange about this incident is that the roof appears to be good condition other than the fat that it fell over.
This is a picture of a metal roof wrapped around a tree. I could not believe that wind could be powerful enough to bend metal around a tree. This picture was also taken on Lantana Road.
HURRICANE JEANNE
This is a trailer that goes on the back of a semitruck. This trailer was parked behind the building where I worked. Normally this trailer would be facing vertical along the picture rather than horizontal. The wind from hurricane Jeanne blew the trailer over then turned it around. This picture was taken shortly after the storm had passed Palm Beach County.
This street sign was hanging on an intersection over the road Forest Hill Blvd. Not only did the force of the wind bend the sign but it began to rip it as well.
These pictures were both taken in Wellington. (Left) A picture of a traffic light that was blown through the intersection to the side of the road. (Right) Is a picture of what the intersections in Wellington usually looks like after a hurricane. Stop signs need to be put out due to their not being any power and the traffic lights falling.
Down power lines are not an unusual site after a a hurricane. These lines are very scary. It is normally a good idea to wait a while after the storm has passed before you go outside. The local fire departments usually will be driving around making sure that the roads are safe. This line was not live but if it was I could have been seriously injured if I came in contact with it.
HURRICANE WILMA
This is a construction trailer that was blown several feet from where it had originally been. These trailers are usually the office for the construction site where work is being done. I find it amazing how the wind just rolled this huge trailer through the parking lot.
This is a very common site after a hurricane. Stop signs are usually twisted and bent, facing in a direction which they were not facing before the storm. The thing I found unusual about this stop sign was that it had been severed. You normally don't get to see this done to stop signs.
This picture appears to be a picture of just a cloudy sky, it is actually a picture of the most dangerous part of the storm, the eye. The eye of a hurricane is the center of the storm and is usually calm. One of the most dangerous parts about it is that the winds will suddenly pick up without notice to top wind speeds of the storm. That is not a lie. As I was walking around taking pictures I noticed the wind beginning to blow. I started walking back to my apartment and almost suddenly I was in the middle of about 60 mph winds. It was a good thing I got back to my apartment quickly or I could have become another statistic.
Another picture taken during the evening in Wellington, this intersection had all of the traffic lights blown right off. Notice how calm and peaceful the sky looks after Wilma had hit earlier that day.