It's that time of year on the Carolina coast -- Hurricane season.  It's a time of year when those of us who live on the coast watch the ocean and Gulf for signs of storms. We watch the weather channel for signs of developing storms.  Times can be tough. Life events of coastal residents are often defined by storms with a first name.  Increasingly, those who live inland feel the same. As a lifelong resident of the coast, I remember the storm quite well.

As I write this, it's windy and rainy outside.  Tropical storm Debby is sitting off Charleston, SC and moving north.  It's projected to turn west and make landfall around Georgetown.  Winds are 20-50, depending on where you are.  As wind goes, that's not too bad, but it's the rain and flooding that will likely cause the greatest problems. Those who live in flood-prone areas will feel the waters rise.  

Times can be tough for coastal wildlife.  Most nesting has finished by mid-August, but not all.  Black Skimmers, for example, can be incubating in mid-August and nests may be washed out.  Oystercatchers have usually fledged chicks by now, but their chicks still have to endure the storms.  It's hard to know exactly where and how they ride out the storms.  Almost certainly they seek shelter wherever they can get relief from the wind, rain, and water. I've watched songbirds huddle against my house while leaves and limbs fly. Some make it.  Some don't. They are remarkably resilient.