The Howling: Exploring the Unnerving Power of Wind on People

 The Dark Side of Nature’s Whispers"

By Lorraine Carey

Jimi Hendrix sang a hit song, “The Wind Cries Mary” in the late sixties which was a tribute to his girlfriend and longtime love. Well, she may have liked the wind and been honored by the song, but some of us may beg to differ.

I vividly remember those windy days when I was a classroom teacher. The staff lounge would be abuzz with teachers commenting on how many students would be misbehaving on that day and the detention hall would most likely be full. Let me add that I am so glad I am retired.

There is something about wind that directly affects our physical and mental status. Observations of the negative behavior of children on the playground of an American school revealed that the average number of fights per day doubled when the wind speeds rose about a threshold, above force 6.

Wind does increase our production of adrenaline, metabolisms speed up us, and blood vessels of the heart show a tendency to stand on end.

Positive ions become over-abundant. The wind’s energy can strip away a negatively charged ion into a positive ion. And these charged particles do strange things. Science has not been able to explain exactly why too many positive ions in the air have a negative impact on us but have confirmed that the effect is real.

I’ve always felt that the wind picks up so much energy from everything around us: people, animals, plants, and whatnot. And all of those energies, good or bad impact us.

Our nervous systems were built to detect changes that require a quick response- when winds become strong our bodies trigger that ‘fight or flight’ mode releasing stress hormones, adrenaline, and norepinephrine as a defense response mechanism.

Now let’s talk a bit about the recent Hurricane Helene and how the wind had affected so many:

Yes, science has its theories but I have witnessed all types of behavior, good and bad before, during, and after this hurricane here in Florida.

I live in St. Petersburg, (Tampa Bay area) and yes, this area got hit hard. Luckily we did not get any damage other than much debris in our pool and yard. And we do have the bayou in our backyard that runs out into the bay.

My in-laws were staying with us from Ohio during this storm. Two days before the storm I had gone to the market to get supplies and I knew what that situation would look like. Yes, panic buying was in full swing. The look on shoppers’ faces told it all. Many were racing their buggies to get to water and nonperishables, some banging into others without any apologies.

I let many of the seniors get in front of me as the line to the water aisle was jammed. When I got there I found two jugs on the top shelf. One man reached ahead of me and said, “Not till I get one.” Well, he did get his and handed me one.

I was glad to return home and vowed not to return back there until the storm passed.

The day before the storm I had a doctor’s appointment and driving to and from was a real stretch. Some people were polite but others were in full road rage mode. I almost wished I had taken an Uber to my appointment.

Most of the people in my neighborhood had evacuated but offered to assist or see if we needed anything as we did the same. Being we stayed we’d be the boots on the ground.

It was probably a good thing to have company at the time for moral support. The day of the storm we were all tense and scared. Our eyes and ears were glued to the weather stations, but we all pitched in and began moving furniture, placing sandbags out, and removing all outside furniture as the surge was supposed to be high.

The winds started to pick up during the late afternoon on Thursday, Sept. 26^th. I went into the backyard to check the water levels and the bayou was starting to rise. The wind was howling like thousands of banshees. No birds were in the area and I felt a sense of doom overtake me.

That night, none of us slept, with having to keep vigil on the rising waters from the bayou in the backyard. I’d gone out around midnight as the surge was supposed to end around 2 a.m. My husband and I had our boots on and were wading through waters that had risen from the bayou and into our yard. It was then that I felt like I was truly in danger. I know what lurks in those waters and I could just imagine a snake or gator at my feet. I kept thinking, Would this water rush into our home and have us swimming out? The wind blew harder and the Mangrove trees were moving wildly and I was screaming.  Yes, I was feeling out of control. Our entire neighborhood was flooded as well. My husband was trying to calm me down but that was futile. All I could think was, why did we stay here?

We watched the water until 2 a.m. Luckily it had stopped so we were all tired and able to get some rest.

In the morning the waters were receding back to the bayou as well as the front area.

That morning was the big reveal as to all the damage that the area had received. We were spared here, but many were not as fortunate. The pictures of the devastation of St. Petersburg and the Tampa Bay area were devastating.  I had family that had homes destroyed.

It’s been a week now post-hurricane and I do see some calming down but only from those who did not have devastation to their property. Most people you talk to here are dealing with PTSD from this. There are neighborhood groups as well as local agencies that have come to the rescue.

My most recent trip was out to the store yesterday, traffic was very heavy, and I was still seeing some aggressive drivers. Some folks needed to replenish food and panic buying resumed in the store.

The next day after the storm the winds continued to have some pretty strong bursts here and there. It was as if the storm was trying to mark its territory.

Hopefully, I will not encounter a storm like Helene in my lifetime but as far as the wind goes, I have to say I’ve always feared it, and now more so than ever.

References: www.adirondackalmanack.com

Lorraine Carey

https://authorlorrainecarey.blogspot.com/

Lorraine Carey is a reading specialist and an Award-Winning Author. She was living in California until fate whisked her off to Grand Cayman. She currently lives in Florida. Her love for paranormal stories began at a young age, and is no stranger to the paranormal, having encountered unexplainable events that are woven into her stories.