Do hurricanes reach New York?

On Peter's recommendation, I decided to make the trek to Bed, Bath and Beyond to stock my dorm room. It's located about 15 blocks north of where I live, which, when you are reluctant to ride the subway, is quite a distance. Unfortunately, my room is in dire need of stuff, so I really had no choice but to go.

On the way, a small street faire caught my attention. Being someone who is incapable of ignoring street vendors, especially those that sell tacos from a truck, I decided to put off the hike for a few minutes to grab a quick meal and see if I could find anything that could spice up my dorm room.

A phone call interrupted my exploration of the faire pretty much as soon as I got there, so I took refuge in an alley to chat. That's when the darkness emerged. Suddenly, the sky, bright and welcoming a second before, was grey and ominous. Still, I thought nothing of it and stayed put.

Not minutes later, I kid you not, a veritable hurricane touched down on my exact position. Rain, like bullets from the heavens, vigorously attacked me. Pieces of trash, whipped up in a frenzy, flew by. I covered my face with my hands, but it was not enough; not even the building offered protection. It was as if someone had turned on one of those giant 10-ft movie fans and pointed it directly at me and the rest of the faire-goers. With a yelp, I hung up and began to run back towards Washington Square Park, dodging garbage all the way.

The vendors, too, were making a break for it, struggling to cover wares that could be harmed by the rain. Some were attempting to pick up those items that had already been blown away from their designated spot, a futile effort in most cases. At this point, everyone at the faire was running at break-neck pace. What had just a moment ago been a bustling marketplace was now a wind-battered alley of flying detritus and fleeing patrons.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, was my first experience with a hurricane. I'm happy to say that I survived and find myself safe and sound inside the dorm. Don't let people tell you that hurricanes are all that bad. I've been there, done that, and must say that they've got nothing on a nice, strong earthquake.