I was a senior at the Medical University of South Carolina when Hurricane Hugo blew into town.
I lived alone in an apartment in West Ashley and had never experienced anything like this but I knew I wasn't going to "ride it out" like some locals were planning to do.
I packed up everything in my apartment that was important - - or that seemed important at the time - - and spent the night with friends the night before the eye of the hurricane hit.
Video from around the world
I didn't even think to call home to let my parents know where I was or that I was OK. What was I thinking?! Then sometime during the night, the telephone lines went out.
By 5 a.m. the next morning, I was on the road headed to my parent's home in Darlington. I arrived there around 7 a.m. to find my mom on the phone just frantic that she hadn't been able to reach me the night before or that morning.
She was a bit upset but more pleased that I was OK. In the end, it was a good thing that I didn't stay in the apartment because by the time I returned to Charleston weeks later, I found a tree had crashed through the roof of my apartment and had landed on my bed!
-- Natalie J. Copeland, Manager, Cancer Registry, Lexington Medical Center
Get The State newspaper delivered to your home. Click here to subscribe.
We encourage an open and civil exchange of affirming and dissenting opinions on our stories. We invite you to respectfully comment on our content as part of our interactive community.
Click here to read our comment guidelines and learn about our commenting system. Report abuse by clicking the "Report Abuse" link.
E-Mail
Print
