搜索
FacetoFacewithHurricaneCamilleJosephP.Blank1JohnKoshak,Jr.,knewthatHurricaneCamillewouldbebad.RadioandtelevisionwarningshadsoundedthroughoutthatSunday,lastAugust17,asCamillelashednorthwestwardacrosstheGulfofMexico.ItwascertaintopummelGulfport,Miss.,wheretheKosherslived.AlongthecoastsofLouisiana,MississippiandAlabama,nearly150,000peoplefledinlandtosafer8round.But,likethousandsofothersinthecoastalcommunities,johnwasreluctanttoabandonhishomeunlessthefamily--hiswife,Janis,andtheirsevenchildren,abed3to11--wasclearlyendangered.2Tryingtoreasonoutthebestcourseofaction,hetalkedwithhisfatherandmother,whohadmovedintotheten-roomhousewiththeKoshaksamonthearlierfromCalifornia.HealsoconsultedCharlesHill,alongtimefriend,whohaddrivenfromLasVegasforavisit.3John,37--whosebusinesswasrightthereinhishome(hedesignedanddevelopededucationaltoysandsupplies,andallofMagnaProducts'correspondence,engineeringdrawingsandartworkwerethereonthefirstfloor)--wasfamiliarwiththepowerofahurricane.Fouryearsearlier,HurricaneBetsyhaddemolishedundefinedhisformerhomeafewmileswestofGulfport(Koshakhadmovedhisfamilytoamotelforthenight).Butthathousehadstoodonlyafewfeetabovesealevel.We'reelevated2afeet,hetoldhisfather,andwe'reagood250yardsfromthesea.Theplacehasbeenheresince1915,andnohurricanehaseverbotheredit.We'IIprobablybeassafehereasanyplaceelse.4TheelderKoshak,agruff,warmheartedexpertmachinistof67,agreed.Wecanbattendownandrideitout,hesaid.Ifweseesignsofdanger,wecangetoutbeforedark.5Themenmethodicallypreparedforthehurricane.Sincewatermainsmightbedamaged,theyfilledbathtubsandpails.Apowerfailurewaslikely,sotheycheckedoutbatteriesfortheportableradioandflashlights,andfuelforthelantern.John'sfathermovedasmallgeneratorintothedownstairshallway,wiredseverallightbulbstoitandpreparedaconnectiontotherefrigerator.6Rainfellsteadilythatafternoon;graycloudsscuddedinfromtheGulfontherisingwind.Thefamilyhadanearlysupper.Aneighbor,whosehusbandwasinVietnam,askedifsheandhertwochildrencouldsitoutthestormwiththeKoshaks.Anotherneighborcamebyonhiswayin-land—wouldtheKoshaksmindtakingcareofhisdog?7Itgrewdarkbeforeseveno'clock.Windandrainnowwhippedthehouse.Johnsenthisoldestsonanddaughterupstairstobringdownmattressesandpillowsfortheyoungerchildren.Hewantedtokeepthegrouptogetherononefloor.Stayawayfromthewindows,hewarned,concernedaboutglassflyingfromstorm-shatteredpanes.Asthewindmountedtoaroar,thehousebeganleaking-therainseeminglydrivenrightthroughthewalls.Withmops,towels,potsandbucketstheKoshaksbeganastruggleagainsttherapidlyspreadingwater.At8:30,powerfailed,andPopKoshakturnedonthegenerator.8Theroarofthehurricanenowwasoverwhelming.Thehouseshook,andtheceilinginthelivingroomwasfallingpiecebypiece.TheFrenchdoorsinanupstairsroomblewinwithanexplosivesound,andthegroupheardgun-likereportsasotherupstairswindowsdisintegrated.Waterroseabovetheirankles.9Thenthefrontdoorstartedtobreakawayfromitsframe.JohnandCharlieputtheirshouldersagainstit,butablastofwaterhitthehouse,flingingopenthedoorandshovingthemdownthehall.Thegeneratorwasdoused,andthelightswentout.CharlielickedhislipsandshoutedtoJohn.Ithinkwe'reinrealtrouble.Thatwatertastedsalty.Theseahadreachedthehouse,andthewaterwasrisingbytheminute!10Everybodyoutthebackdoortotheoars!Johnyelled.We'IIpassthechildrenalongbetweenus.Countthem!Nine!11Thechildrenwentfromadulttoadultlikebucketsinafirebrigade.Butthecarswouldn'tstart;theelectricalsystemshadbeenkilledbywater.ThewindwastooStrongandthewatertoodeeptofleeonfoot.Backtothehouse!johnyelled.Countthechildren!Countnine!12Astheyscrambledback,johnordered,Every-bodyonthestairs!Frightened,breathlessandwet,thegroupsettledonthestairs,whichwereprotectedbytwointeriorwalls.Thechildrenputtheoat,Spooky,andaboxwithherfourkittensonthelanding.Shepeerednervouslyatherlitter.Theneighbor'sdogcurledupandwenttosleep.13Thewindsoundedliketheroarofatrainpassingafewyardsaway.Thehouseshudderedandshiftedonitsfoundations.Waterincheditswayupthestepsasfirst-flooroutsidewallscollapsed.Noonespoke.Everyoneknewtherewasnoescape;theywouldliveordieinthehouse.14CharlieHillhadmoreorlesstakenresponsibilityfortheneighborandhertwochildren.Themotherwasonthevergeofpanic.Sheclutchedhisarmandkeptrepeating,Ican'tswim,Ican'tswim.15Youwon'thaveto,hetoldher,withoutwardcalm.It'sboundtoendsoon.16GrandmotherKoshakreachedanarmaroundherhusband'sshoulderandputhermouthclosetohisear.Pop,shesaid,Iloveyou.Heturnedhisheadandanswered,Iloveyou--andhisvoicelackeditsusualgruffness.17Johnwatchedthewaterlapatthesteps,andfeltacrushingguilt.HehadunderestimatedtheferocityofCamille.Hehadassumedthatwhathadneverhappenedcouldnothappen.Heheldhisheadbetweenhishands,andsilentlyprayed:Getusthroughthismess,willYou?18Amomentlater,thehurricane,inonemightyswipe,liftedtheentireroofoffthehouseandskimmedit40feetthroughtheair.Thebottomstepsofthestaircasebrokeapart.Onewallbegancrumblingonthemaroonedgroup.19Dr.RobertH.Simpson,directoroftheNationalHurricaneCenterinMiami,Fla.,gradedHurricaneCamilleasthegreatestrecordedstormevertohitapopulatedareaintheWesternHemisphere.initsconcentratedbreadtho