Local Perspective on Opal, please?

[southof30A]

Prior to Opal we would get to the bottom of our beach walkover and then have to walk through approx. 30' of sea oats-covered dunes on the flat part of the beach. These dunes never recovered after Opal. The vertical cliff after Opal was similar to the one after Dennis, although the beach has eroded landward an additional 60' farther than after Opal. Lots of big, foreign shells on the beach afterward.

The night before Opal hit we had dinner at Criolla's. Came home in a heavy rain. During the night the hurricane strengthened dramatically still far offshore and we were awoken by sheriff's loudspeakers driving down 30A calling for a mandatory evacuation. We evacuated to Dothan and got hit pretty hard there. Back to the beach a few days later, we found that an oceanside patio door had blown in, which pressured up the inside of our condo, ultimately blowing out one of the front bedroom windows. The ensuing wind tunnel left about 4 inches of windblown sand piled up in the dining room. Drapes, bed linens etc. were sucked out of the window. Found a 3" long wood splinter embeded in the side of our mattress. Time of impact: 5:40 PM according to our wall clock which was blown off the wall and stopped.

 

[laurawood]

opal was scary, very scary. I think it taught people that if a storm is coming anywhere near and is a cat 2 or higher it is better to leave and it not hit than to stay and take a chance. Dont want to end up in such a possibly bad situation. think of all the people in new orleans who stayed..........is very sad.

 

[Beachbummette]

I have pictures of us in the big dunes at Grayton back in 1984 they were huge! We could not afford to rent much we were still in college so we used to rent "The Retreat" does anyone remember that one? It was on the same street as Red Bar pass the condos on the right. The dunes behind the house were so big we have pictures of us from the top and it looks like we are in a canyon. I know, I know this was a long time ago and we did not know not to walk on the dunes!
Kurt if I ever figure out how to reduce my pictures (will try tonight) I will post. We also have pictures of us on the beach about were the road beside Red Bar comes to the beach the picture is taken from the water with us on the beach and there was just a couple of houses behind us!

 

[laurawood]

the dunes were huge...... we used to roll down them into the lake. I should dig up old pics of the beach to share.

 

[Beachbummette]

the dunes were huge...... we used to roll down them into the lake. I should dig up old pics of the beach to share.

:clap_1: Please do, I love to look at old pictures before everything changed. What year or years are you photos from?

 

[Beach Runner]

Thanks for your "inland" stories, JR and GTTBM.

I had forgotten that we cancelled classes and sent all of the students home who could go home. That was the only good part for me - a few unanticipated days of paid vacation!

 

[laurawood]

was born here in 83 however, i have pics dating back to the 70's at least. if not earlier. after opal all the high schoolers rode the big jet boat out of choctawhatchee bay to fort walton beach to go to school because the roads were out. Water transportation is never out of style.......................

 

[Paula]

These are fantastic stories. :clap_1: Keep them coming. This is a good place to collect and save history of SoWal. And photos! Please please please photos. These stories about Opal are both frightening and comforting. Frightening because of the damage (no stories yet about loss of human life during Opal - was there any?) and comforting because it's clear that the area (nature and people) bounce back.

 

[DBOldford]

Thanks for the feedback about the sand dunes, folks. I remembered dunes 30 ft. high or more, too but refrained from posting that for fear of exaggeration. I mean, when you're a short kid, everything looks taller and bigger, right? But I remember those dunes being extremely high, canyons within them, and covered with sea oats, like a forest. We have an etching of "The Store" on the landing at Conch Out, made from a very old photo. The sand dunes surround it and come right up to the windows and people often think it is the artist's liberty. Not so. I can remember when people had fights in "The Store," they would sometimes jump right out those windows into the dunes to finish things up. A whole new take on, "Let's take this outside!"

As for loss of life, I recall the bridge house (on the old Bay bridge) going into the drink with the bridgekeepers inside on at least two occasions. While I cannot be sure, I seem to recall that a barge hit that bridge during Opal and one of the bridgekeepers was drowned. Someone else may want to weigh in on this because I might have my storms confused.

I think that Opal made a huge difference in how SoWal residents view hurricanes. Before, there was no mandatory evacuation and I can actually remember sitting on the beaches watching hurricanes roll in, before driving home for the big event. The evacuation process down there is now very efficient and you have to consider it as to how it relates to the debacle that occurred in New Orleans and subsequently in the Houton, TX areas. Opal turned us all into veterans.

Now if someone could just say something about that chest of drawers from the old Conch Out?!? Reward offered...no questions asked. Furniture just wants to come home. :roll:

 

[Rudyjohn]

Before, there was no mandatory evacuation and I can actually remember sitting on the beaches watching hurricanes roll in, before driving home for the big event.

I, too, remember us staying on the beach 'til the last minute and jumping in the car to drive home. One time when I was about 10, I was hanging onto one of those brown visitors info signs on the sidewalk at P'cola Beach to keep from being blown away and my dad ran up and carried me to the car. It was totally black out and the wind, sand and rain was whipping around. It was so loud we had to scream at each other. There just wasn't much early notification - just common sense, which dosen't sound like we used much of it that time!