The Hilton Head Homes Blog

This is not a blog about the hurricane or its center of force. This is a blog about Hilton Head--my island, my home--and its core of strength. However, before I can talk about the Island’s strength, I must give background on the force that gave rise to the strength.

Four weeks ago, like so many Island neighbors and friends, evacuees who sought refuge from Hurricane Matthew’s impending arrival to South Carolina, my family, our cat and I were huddled in front of the television and hunched over our phones and tablets seeking, searching for--and awaiting--any tidbit of news regarding the trajectory Hurricane Matthew. Was it going to turn? Was it continuing on a straight path? Would it intensify or dissipate before striking land? These were questions no one could answer (though there was an overabundance of speculation and giddy anticipation from the national media). That’s the thing about hurricanes. You just have to wait.

Hurricane Matthew Arrives

It was a black dawn on Saturday morning when the hurricane came ashore. My wife and a family friend, whose business interests in Harbour Town and South Beach compelled him to stay, were keeping in touch via text message beginning earlier in the week. On Friday the 7th at 2:06 in the afternoon, the update was that rains had begun. By 7:16 the message was a more optimistic “all is well” and “think we’ll be OK.” At 7:48, just minutes later, the reading was slightly ominous: “Raining hard.” Darkness had settled, the rain was blowing and the wind speed had kicked up. At 9:07 p.m. our friend stated, “It’s rough.” Then, for hours, nothing but silence. At 4:57 a.m. a chime broke the deafening quiet. A message at that hour of the morning is always startling and most likely informing the receiver of dreaded news, but we had been up all night and that chime was our lifeline. The long-awaited, post-hurricane text, as straightforward as the previous ones simply read: ‘We’re OK. Life goes on.”

Even after the darkest night, the sun still rises. The morning of October 8, 2016 was one of those amazingly clear, clean, cool and bright Fall mornings. It was as if the sky were apologizing for having behaved so very badly, and the ocean--having put on such a hideous show the night before--was still and at peace. The light of day exposed all that we didn’t want to see: fallen and leaning trees, properties affected by those fallen and leaning trees; and docks and boats drifting in the creeks, rivers and sounds. No need to candy-coat the truth. Hurricane Matthew did what hurricanes do and, just as quickly as it blew in, it blew right back out.

The hurricane story ends there. We’ve moved on.

Now the Real Story Begins

The real story begins after the hurricane--the moment we drove over the bridge, arrived home, individually and collectively, and assessed the damage. In some ways it was worse than we thought; but in many more ways, it was not as bad as we expected. The latter resultant of the Island’s core of strength: its people. Neighbors were calling on each other with grateful hearts from “Just making sure you’re alright” to “Call me, I can come right over” or “What do you need…yes, I think I have one---you can have it” and “I went to the hardware/grocery store and thought you could use this.”

It’s not about what the hurricane did; it’s about what the hurricane could not do. The hurricane could not tear apart the bonds of friendship, the power of community, the might of compassion or the depth of generosity of its people.

I sell real estate on Hilton Head Island for a living. Correction: I sell the Hilton Head lifestyle for a living. To be sure, the Island has been bequeathed many gifts; Mother Nature has certainly smiled on us, and that natural beauty will forever be evident to the casual onlooker. The greatest gift, far deeper and more compelling than physical beauty, is the people of the Island. That core of goodness is what brings us together and in trying times it is what sustains us all. While a very small percentage of the homes, villas and condos sustained some physical damage, that which has not already been repaired will be repaired in short order. The Island is up and running--we’ve been up and running. You should see us now. Our core was unscathed and Hurricane Matthew is a thing of the past.

My clients who were under contract to close during the storm drove over the bridge with the rest of us--relieved by what we saw, happy to see our amazing Island and happy to be home. There was even a ‘Welcome Home’ sign at the base of the bridge. Some of the golf courses are already up and open and, WOW, what an incredible beach!

Yes, in the words of our dear friend, WE’RE OK! Visit us soon and view your next Island home or condo---on the web (HiltonHeadHomes.com) or in person. Stronger than any force against us, we are Hilton Head Strong.